Fire, heat, and drought threaten to destroy Tasmania's alpine relict forests. We need conservation through custodianship.
Fire, heat, and drought threaten to destroy Tasmania's alpine relict forests. We need conservation through custodianship.
Tasmania is getting hotter and dryer. The science has been done, and we're beginning to see the patterns of local climate change play out before us. Hotter and dryer weather means more fires will run through our forests. Some of our native trees can use that fire to reproduce and spread, but many cannot. And unless we as the people of Tasmania step up as custodians, we'll lose those vulnerable species before we know it. Let's not let our relict alpine forests become the next Thylacine. At the Gondwana Project Inc., we believe that it's best to act before something precious is lost.
Tasmania is home to some of Australia's most unique flora, especially in our alpine regions and rainforests. Some of our species, such as the iconic Fagus (Nothofagus gunnii) haven't changed significantly in tens of millions of years. This cohort of species are our inheritance from the supercontinent of Gondwana, and includes Nothofagus, our alpine and rainforest conifers, and many more. These specie shave no adaptation to fire, and research suggests that if nothing is done, the Gondwanan relict forests will be lost.
By means of research, education, and direct conservation, the Gondwana Project Inc. aims to help in preventing the loss of our alpine and fire sensitive flora. With our Backyard Biobanking campaign, we aim to create a massive urban climate refuge of these species that can be called upon in times of need. Our mapping projects aim to increase our understanding of the true ranges of these species, so that fire management practices and conservation strategies can be improved. Our genetic research aims to better understand the population genetics of understudied species so that we can better understand the history and population structure of Tasmania's iconic species.
We at The Gondwana Project Inc. acknowledge and pay our respects to all Tasmanian Aboriginal people and groups as the owners and continuing custodians of the land on which we work today. We pay our respect to Elders past and present, and acknowledge the enduring connection of Tasmanian Aboriginal people to Country, culture, and community.
Additionally, we acknowledge that we at The Gondwana Project Inc. are in no way the first people to suggest active custodianship of Australian/Tasmanian environments, nor do we suggest that our approach is infallible or particularly original. All credit for these notions are better directed to Australia's first people.
Want to get in touch? Reach out if you'd like to know more about what we do, or how you can support our mission
10 Greenlands Avenue, Sandy Bay TAS, Australia
The Gondwana Project Inc.
10 Greenlands Avenue, Sandy Bay TAS, Australia
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