With the added attraction of senior botanist and East Gippsland specialist David Cameron, we had the biggest citizen science camp ever! Over 50 people attended for guided walks, talks & citizen science efforts and surveying. A new layer of people have been recharged and are ready to fight for the forests of East Gippsland!

Thanks so much to everyone who came and got involved. We hold citizen science and skillshare camps 3-4 a times a year - subscribe to our email list to get updates about the next camp!

Volunteers inside the giant 'Cathedral Tree' in the Errinundra. Photo credit: Trudy Photography

At the beginning of 2020 we wrote to VicForests CEO Monique Dawson about the devastating ecological impacts of post bushfire logging. She admitted to rejecting the advice from leading expert in the field David Lindenmayer, instead relying on VicForests own determination and enforcement on what they felt had value. For over 2 years they have logged recovering forests without oversight, with impunity, and with the tacit support of the Dan Andrews government.

Since the 2019 - 2020 fires, this is what post-bushfire logging looks like in East Gippsland on Bidewell and Monero Country. 

Shocking drone footage reveals the scale of logging devastation in Cann River

The Andrews government logging agency VicForests have written to Goongerah Environment Centre outlining plans to log thousands of hectares of forests affected by the 2019/2020 bushfires in East Gippsland, despite the known devastating ecological impacts of salvage logging. The government's own regulator is working with VicForests to give them the green light to salvage log, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that this will cause severe ecological harm. The Age have reported here.

Logging is well underway in fire-affected forests south of the Alpine National Park

Below is footage of Martin's Creek, the largest area of warm temperate rainforest in Victoria that burnt in the bushfires in East Gippsland. Meanwhile the logging industry has been asking for government funding to salvage log in burnt areas. This is essentially further destroying forests that have been burnt despite proven damage to ecosystems and wildlife which urgently need assistance to recover, not further destruction and damage. Logging is still happening in Victoria despite catastrophic losses of forests and wildlife. All forests are now critical refuges for remaining threatened flora and fauna. 

Call the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on (03) 9651 5000 and tell him; no salvage logging in burnt areas, and protection of all remaining unburnt forests.