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Environment, news, culture from the Australian Alps

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‘Lets be really intentional about the stories we choose to perpetuate within our sport’

Connor Ryan is a Hunkpapa Lakota skier based in Colorado. Prominent for his work with Natives Outdoors and his film Spirit of the Peaks (and more recently his series called the New Radical), he is a strong native voice in what is still largely a community dominated by Anglo people.

Recently while speaking at a conference organised by the Winter Wildlands Alliance he was asked for his thoughts about how environmental advocates can become better story tellers.

His response really resonated with me.

Continue reading “‘Lets be really intentional about the stories we choose to perpetuate within our sport’” →

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Profile: Hilary McAllister from For Wild Places

Hilary McAllister describes the development and role of the trail running group For Wild Places.

Activism and the outdoors are two pursuits that, in recent years, have evolved into a symbiotic relationship.  As history would have us believe, activism is a pursuit of the immensely passionate. Dedicated souls who shun societal expectations, choosing to reside in remote, sometimes damp, forest camps, utilising our scarcest resource – time – to protect wild places under threat.

Growing up in an average, rural family, this path to activism felt out of reach to me, too extreme for my somewhat beige sensibility. But along with descriptors such as accident-prone, nomad and feminist, activist has made its way onto my bio and into my way of life.

Continue reading “Profile: Hilary McAllister from For Wild Places” →

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Lake Malbena update: Aboriginal cultural heritage assessment required

On 13 November 2023 Minister Plibersek issued yet another Extension of Time for her decision on federal approval of the controversial standing camp proposal on Halls Island on the Central Plateau in lutruwita/ Tasmania. You can read about the proposal here.

However, unlike the previous extensions this one includes a request for further information, including “a thorough Aboriginal cultural heritage assessment report”.

Continue reading “Lake Malbena update: Aboriginal cultural heritage assessment required” →

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Control of Kosciusko’s feral horses makes progress

The summer of 2023/2024 has been an eventful time in the campaign to remove feral horses from Kosciuszko National Park. Figures announced by the NSW government on 29th January show that 3,530 feral horses have been removed from Kosciuszko since the Plan’s commencement – by re-homing, removal to knackery, aerial and ground shooting, and shooting in yards. The biggest contributor to the removal total was ground shooting (1,022 horses) followed by re-homing (866 horses) and aerial shooting (822). The proportion of aerial shooting is likely to increase in coming months; the method was not approved by the NSW government until October 2023, after a consultation process.

Continue reading “Control of Kosciusko’s feral horses makes progress” →

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Logging impacts mountain areas in southern lutruwita/ Tasmania

Liam Oakwood reports on the scale of logging in areas next to mountain ranges in southern lutruwita/ Tasmania. As he notes: ‘In the shadow of the mountain ranges of the deep South a steady defence of life on Earth is being mounted’.

Continue reading “Logging impacts mountain areas in southern lutruwita/ Tasmania” →

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2024 is a pivotal year in determining Lake Pedder’s future

In 1972 the original Lake Pedder was flooded to create an auxiliary Hydro storage impoundment, sparking national outcry and international criticism. Since the controversial flooding, there have been growing calls to restore the original Lake. Hence the present-day human-made Pedder Impoundment is contained within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) boundaries, with the intent of eventual restoration. That time has come.

2024 is shaping up to be a pivotal year in determining Lake Pedder’s future. A federal government decision will be made in the coming 12 to 18 months; to either set about planning the restoration of Lake Pedder or invest in massive high-risk dam works that will maintain the flooding of Pedder for another 40 to 50 years.

Continue reading “2024 is a pivotal year in determining Lake Pedder’s future” →

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The Hills Sisters Ski the AAWT

The Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) is the premier long distance walking track through the Australian mountains. It starts in Walhalla in Victoria, crosses the Victorian Alps and the Snowy Mountains and goes almost to the outskirts of Canberra. It is 650 to 704km in length, with an epic 28,000 metres of elevation gain during the length of the walk.

Marita Hills recounts her winter journey along the AAWT with her sister Angela.

Continue reading “The Hills Sisters Ski the AAWT” →

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A solo journey on the AAWT in support of mental health

Elise Marcianti reflects on a 300 km solo journey from Kosci to Bright along the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT). Her journey – done as a fund raiser for mental health campaign Moving For The Mind –   started with an ultra in Kosciuszko then hiking down to Bright, drawing illustrations of the mountain huts along the way.

Continue reading “A solo journey on the AAWT in support of mental health” →

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Now is the time to speak up against commercial development in the Alpine national park

The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing (FHAC) is a 37km hike located in the Alpine National Park in north eastern Victoria. The hike generally is done as a 3 day trip, and links the resort towns of Falls Creek and Mt Hotham (starting and finishing slightly outside each town). It is hugely popular.

The creation of the walk, which simply connected existing tracks was a smart way to create an ‘iconic’ walk without much in the way of infrastructure (there are camping platforms at the two suggested overnight sites).

However, like other state governments, the Victorian government has been focused on encouraging private commercial development within national parks, including within the Alpine National Park. The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Master Plan proposes an ‘improved’ option for the FHAC which would make it a 57-kilometre, multi-day route which will take in the Diamantina Spur and Razorback as well as the Bogong High Plains.

Continue reading “Now is the time to speak up against commercial development in the Alpine national park” →

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MJ turns 14

JAN 2024

What even happened last year? Another mild summer, no big fires, then truly dazzling amounts of autumn snow, a great start to winter, then, nothing. Rain and warm temps and misery and the snow pack was gone, not to return. Early end to the season in many places, especially the lower resorts. The usual denial and grumpy guys ranting on line if you dared to mention the ‘climate’ word. Muddy spring and now, another mild summer – a bit different to the El Niño scorcher we had been expecting (so far at least).

Yes, this is the new reality. Climate systems turned on their heads. Wild floods up north, while more than 14 million hectares burnt across the Northern Territory alone during our spring. Erratic winters and wild swings of weather. Buckle in, because it’s not going back to ‘normal’ any time soon.

Then there are the wars raging across many parts of the planet.

And yet, the world can still feel right. Those long autumn days with a slow wander across snow plains, the light rich, the air cool, the distant peaks calling. We are blessed to live in a safe corner of the planet with beautiful hills and forests, rivers and high plains. The freedom and safety to explore. Let us be grateful, as we work for a better world for all.

You can read the full reflection here.

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Native forest logging stops in VIC high country on JAN 1!

On January 1, 2024, all native forest logging on public lands in the east of the state will end. This is a wonderful win for forests, animals, landscapes and the climate, and comes after decades of hard work by many thousands of people.

In recent years Friends of the Earth (FoE) has been campaigning to protect areas of high conservation forest in the north east of the state from logging. We are proud to have played a significant role in the long campaign to gain an end to native forest logging in the east of Victoria.

Here is a brief summary of the recent campaign in the north east and the high country.

Continue reading “Native forest logging stops in VIC high country on JAN 1!” →

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Welcome coverage of threats to snow gums in The Age

You may have seen today’s story by Miki Perkins in The Age here.  It considers the threats posed to snow gum woodlands (and other mountain forests) by more frequent and intense bushfires.

The story says ‘the global climate crisis, driven by humans burning fossil fuels, has brought a new threat to these mountain peaks: more frequent and more intense bushfires.

Because snow gums have not evolved to cope with these conditions, experts say the nature of Australia’s high mountain landscapes are changing, and the ecological collapse of snow gum woodlands – the abrupt decline or change of this ecosystem – is happening before our eyes’.

Continue reading “Welcome coverage of threats to snow gums in The Age” →

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