Mountain Journal is one of my passions. Along with things like my involvement in the backcountry festival, Protect our Winters, and the Mt Hotham Dinner Plain CFA, there are many ways I try to share my love for the mountains. One of my other passions is my work as campaigns co-ordinator for environmental group Friends of the Earth (FoE). In the last few years FoE has started to do substantial work in support of mountain environments.
FoE does lots of campaigns – forests, koalas, sustainable cities, yes 2 renewables and action on climate, anti nukes, and so on (details here).
We have also ramped up our work in the high country over the past two years, filling a gap in existing activity. We are keenly aware that our splendid parks – Baw Baw, Buffalo, the Alpine and other parks – which only exist because of years of community campaigning – are at grave risk from many threats including climate change.
Recent highlights have included:
- Identifying the current risks to Victorian mountain environments (the Icon at Risk report)
- We have been mapping the scale of ecological collapse of snow gum woodlands (ABC story here)
- Helping build an alliance to see the headwaters of the Little Dargo River protected from logging (ABC story here)
- Building support for a new team of remote area firefighter who will be tasked with protecting the Alpine and other national parks.
- Campaigning for the federal government to establish a fleet of publicly owned large planes and helicopters to protect people and landscapes in bad fire seasons (as was recommended by the Bushfire Royal Commission)
- And we are about to launch another mini campaign to ensure areas of precious forest near Mt Bogong are protected from logging.
If you have any remaining ability to support our work in the Alps that would be fantastic. I am proud of the fact that we are a grassroots activist organisation who can make a little bit of cash go a long way. If you can donate here, all funds will be directed to our work in the mountains.
We are only as strong as our support base so if you felt like becoming a member that would also be wonderful.
These images are from a recent walk in we helped organise into the headwaters of the Little Dargo catchment.
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