Much of the alpine regions of south eastern Australia and lutruwita/ Tasmania are public land, and much of that is included in national parks, World Heritage Areas, or other conservation reserves.
But many threats remain, from climate change, logging, over development, weed infestation and feral animals and so on. More than ever the alpine environments need your support.
Here are some practical things you can do to support the Alps.
‘The cure for depression is action
Every one of us has to step up and do what you can, according to what your resources are.’
- Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia
Shift your money
Many financial institutions still invest in fossil fuels. Shifting to an ethical fund or bank is a great start.
Check here for details on where banks are investing (via the group Market Forces).
https://www.marketforces.org.au/info/compare-bank-table/
Check here for where superannuation funds are investing.
https://www.marketforces.org.au/superfunds/
Get active on climate and environment
If you don’t already, join and support a climate action group or advocacy organisation. Without meaningful action on climate change, the impacts on the Alps will continue to escalate. Here’s a few ideas:
- Protect Our Winters Australia
- School Strike 4 Climate Action
https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com
- Friends of the Earth
https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/
- Invasive Species Council
The Invasive Species Council was formed in 2002 to seek stronger laws, policies and programs to protect nature from harmful pests, weeds and diseases.
- Australian Firefighters Climate Alliance (AFCA)
AFCA is a network of grassroots volunteer and career firefighters who want to see our governments take stronger action on climate change.
https://www.facebook.com/ausfca
- For Wild Places
United by a desire to use our love of trail running for good, we now want to create a platform that will allow trail runners to have a positive impact on the environment.
Get active in the politics
Build our fire fighting capacity
Remote area firefighting. It’s great that the Victorian government has invested in more career firefighters. We need to also establish a remote area firefighting team responsible for tackling fires in our national parks and state forests. NSW, Tasmania and the ACT already have volunteer units. Victoria should do the same.
Background information is available here.
Protect snow gums and other fire sensitive communities.
Please sign the letter to the environment minister calling on the Victorian government to intervene investigate how to better protect alpine forests from fire and other climate change impacts.
https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/snow_gum_petition
A national, publicly owned air fleet. One of the recommendations of the recent Bushfire Royal Commission report recommends the creation of a national publicly-owned aerial firefighting fleet, which can then be allocated to the states “according to greatest national need”. The federal government has refused to adopt this recommendation.
For background information on fires and the need for a fleet, please check here.
Increase funding for national parks. Check the campaign information from the Victorian National Parks Association here.
LOCAL GROUPS – VICTORIA
Get active in a local environmental group
- Upper Ovens Sustainability Group.
‘Sustainable Upper Ovens (SUO) is community-based organisation formed in 2018 aimed at helping householders and small businesses to adopt improved energy efficiency measures, switch to renewable energy and maximise opportunities to reduce, reuse and recycle our resources.
https://sustainableupperovens.org.au/
- Sustainable King Valley
‘Inspiration and connection for more sustainable living’. The group has a food hub at the Cheshunt Hall. You can find out more via their facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/sustainablekingvalley/about
- Ecoportal
The Ecoportal has a great list of groups who are active in north eastern Victoria plus upcoming events.
- Friends of the Earth North East Alps
A new environmental advocacy group in the north east mountains of Victoria
https://www.facebook.com/FoENorthEastAlps/
- Friends of Bats and Habitat
This group tracks logging and fire threats to forests throughout Gippsland and the north east.
https://www.facebook.com/batfriendsgippsland
- Save the Little Dargo River
An informal group who is opposing logging which is planned in the headwaters of the Little Dargo River in the Victorian high country.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/552475918182699
Get active in a ‘Friends’ Group
These groups do practical work in and around the Victorian High Country.
- Friends of Baw Baw
https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Baw-Baw-National-Park-910175075779040/
- Friends of Bogong
http://www.friendsofbogong.org.au/Intro.html
- Friends of the Cobberas
https://www.friendscobberas.com.au
- Friends of the Mitta Mitta
http://www.friendsofthemitta.org
- Benambra Dinner Plain Omeo Landcare
https://www.landcarevic.org.au/groups/northeast/bdpo/
- Upper Ovens Valley Landcare
The Upper Ovens Valley Landcare Group is interested in empowering our community to ensure a sustainable future for our land, water and biodiversity. We cover the Ovens River Valley from the town of Ovens south to Bright, Harrietville and into the Victorian Alps and river headwaters.
We promote sustainable land and water management practices that balance: economics and ecology, productivity and resource protection.
Recent projects have focussed on riparian areas along the Ovens River with over 8000 trees planted at sites near Porepunkah at the confluence of the Ovens and Buckland Rivers, and at Germantown.
- Up 2 Us Landcare Alliance
Up2Us Landcare Alliance is a community organisation within Mansfield Shire which aims to lead in the preservation, protection and enhancement of our land and water ecosystems by empowering community and individuals to act.
- Bushwalking Tracks and Conservation (BTAC)
‘Bushwalking Tracks and Conservation (BTAC) focus is on tracks and trails strategies, exploring opportunities for new or upgrading tracks, articulating a vision that bushwalkers want for the future, and undertaking fieldwork in Victoria’s national parks and state forest’.
BTAC Volunteers carry out hands-on work on tracks and conservation projects.
Get involved in citizen science
- Snow Gum citizen science project.
Friends of the Earth runs mapping fieldtrips to identify the scale of ecological collapse of snow gum woodlands due to fire impacts.
https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/snow_gums_and_citizen_science
OTHER STATES
Local groups – NSW
Keep It cool
Keep It Cool are skiers, boarders, bikers, hikers and anyone who loves being outside. “We care about the great outdoors, especially our mountains. Nature gives us so much and we want to give back. This is our community. We work with local landholders in the Snowy Mountains area of New South Wales, Australia to help restore and regenerate land through our tree planting program”. Donate here: https://www.keepitcool.org.au/
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Please send your links and contacts and we will update this page with groups from the ACT, NSW and lutruwita/ Tasmania.
cam.walker@foe.org.au
Other ideas
Support renewable energy. If you don’t already purchase renewable energy for your home, workplace or community group, this is a really practical thing you can do to reduce emissions and help drive investment in renewable energy. Check the green electricity guide for ideas on the best options.
Hassle the resorts. If you ski or ride in resorts, then ask your local hill what they’re doing to reduce their carbon footprint. The first and most obvious action is to shift their lifting and snow making operations from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Look them up online and send them a message, saying you ski/ ride there and wonder if they have shifted to 100% renewable energy yet. Thredbo has just announced that it has gone to 100% renewable energy. Hopefully this will inspire other resorts to do the same.
Let people know. Mobilise your friends. Then push them to do more. People trust their friends and family and are more likely to listen to you then the media. Get them to post a selfie in their favourite place and remind the government that they want to see meaningful action on climate change. Or ask them to sign this open letter, and use this hashtag #PlacesWorthProtecting
Those flights do matter. For many of us who love to travel, our flights can be the single biggest contribution to our ‘carbon footprint’. Flying less really is a meaningful way to reduce emissions. Check this interactive map which will tell you what the carbon impact of your flight is. Check this interesting piece on the environmental impacts of flying.
Research from the Lund University has found that the four most effective things an individual can do in their lifestyle to reduce carbon emissions are: eating a plant-based diet, avoiding air travel, living car-free, and having smaller families.
Get out amongst it. Remember to get out into the places that feed your spirit.
‘It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. Explore the forests, encounter the Grizz, climb the mountains. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome place’.
– Edward Abbey
Mountain Journal 
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