Interview With Ben (age 10) About Saving Forests

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Today, we had an interview with Ben, aged 10, a school boy in New South Wales who is doing a project on rain forests and the need for conservation.  Ben sent me his questions by email and we hooked up with Skype, so he could record the interview.

I would like to share his questions and my answers with you – along with some of the photographs I sent to him by email for his project.  The questions were all set by Ben and I simply answered them as I saw fit.  His mother was present during the interview and was very pleased with the information Ben received.

 1)     How can we best preserve our rainforests?

Ant Lion Homes In The Sand

It is very important that we understand the depth of their bio-diversity and that habitat is not just trees. Many people overlook little things about habitat: it is the fallen leaf litter and the decaying logs in which the lizards and the beetles live, as much as the beautiful butterflies in the tree tops.

I have been to Cairns in Northern Queensland and to Sabah in Borneo, to visit rainforests and to try and understand how we can ignore their value as part of our environmental health. [Read more…] about Interview With Ben (age 10) About Saving Forests

Radio 6PR and an Email from the Premier’s Office – Jan 23, 2012

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The Premier’s Office responds:

On 23/01/2012, at 3:58 PM, WA-Government <WA-Government@dpc.wa.gov.au> wrote:

Dear Ms Dewar

Thank you for your email with regard to logging at Warrup Forrest.

In the absence of the Premier your email has been forwarded to the Hon Bill Marmion, Minister for Environment for his consideration of the issues you have raised.

Regards

Western Australian Government

My reply:

Dear Premier’s Office

Thank you for your reply.

I understand the Minister for the Environment will be absent from his office until February 16.  The urgency of this matter requires it not be pigeon-holed for three weeks because the damage the logging will cause will be irreparable in our lifetime.

To see such a serious matter being sidelined as being of little importance or urgency does not recommend your Government to me and I will continue to raise this in the media and with other public figures.

With respect

Lesley Dewar

http://StoriesMyNanaTells.com

 

Tonight (Mon 23 Jan,2012,) I had a good opportunity to speak on Graham Mabury’s Nightline Programme tonight on 6PR about the logging down at Nannup. I hope it broadcast well. I referred to the fact that my 90yo mother lived down there as a child; her family lived in abandoned timber worker’s huts, because the Mauri Timber Company had already decided it was not viable to log further at that time and we now have a once in a lifetime opportunity to save these trees.  They are 80 years older than they were when my mother was there and we may never have the chance again to preserve trees which were left behind nearly 100 years ago.  It is a unique chance to preserve trees which provide food, shelter and habitat.  I did not have an opportunity to speak to the issue at the Shire of Cockburn and the proposed clearing of an important feeding area.  Graham Maybury did a good job of linking my call to Social Media, Jess’s interview on their website and calling for listeners to leave their comments. I told Graham Mabury that I am absolutely disgusted with The Premier’s office – for the way they flicked my email across to the Minister for the Environment, knowing full well he is out of town until February 16, 2012.

 

Channel 10 News Broadcast – #BlackCockatoo Starvation

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Channel 10 News Broadcast

On Monday, Channel 10 responded to a Media Release issued by the Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA)  drawing attention to the desperate plight of Western Australia’s black cockatoos – who are starving and in some cases, have suffered such degrees of malnutrition that they have to be euthanised. This link will open the Channel 10 News Broadcast on January 16, 2012 – after their news crew came up to the Black Cockatoo Recovery Centre at 322 Mills Road, East Martin in the Perth Hills.  Channel 10 Perth News Broadcast after interviews at Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rescue Centre in the Perth Hills on Jan 16, 2012

 

CCWA Media Release

The CCWA Media Release: Crisis meeting to confront cockatoo starvation was direct:   QUOTE “What: With increasing numbers of starving cockatoos being forced out of their native habitats and into the Perth metro area in search of food, conservation groups from across WA are meeting on Monday for a crisis meeting to discuss what can be done to save these iconic birds. ……….. (cont)

Three key species, the rare Forest Red-tailed black cockatoo and the endangered Baudin’s and Carnaby’s black cockatoos, are starving throughout their traditional habitats and being forced to range further and further in search of food.

Despite this the Barnett Government’s logging agency, the Forest Products Commission (FPC), has released its plans to log thousands of hectares of native forests in 2012, with logging to begin at any moment. This includes the incredibly important habitat of Helms forests, which is one of the last remaining areas of good quality habitat in the fire-ravaged Nannup district and has a proven resident cockatoo population. (END OF QUOTE)

 

The meeting was attended by highly experienced conservationists with many years experience in the management, rehabilitation and release of black cockatoos – including Rob Versluis of the WA Forrest Alliance (WAFA) and David and Dee Patterson who have run the Black Cockatoo Rescue Centre in Nannup in the South West of WA for over 25 years.

The followup Media Release by CCWA included this statement by WA Forest Alliance spokesperson Jess Beckering:

“In the past 15 months escaped prescribed burns lit by the Department of Environment and Conservation have blackened nearly 100,000ha of cockatoo habitat in the Nannup area alone. That’s the equivalent of around 245 King’s Parks. Helms forest wasn’t burnt and is vital to the survival of the cockatoos and other native fauna who are now taking refuge there.

“DEC prescribed burning, continued logging of native forests, clearing of urban bushland and years of drought are combining to have catastrophic results for the cockatoos. We are looking forward to the Environment Minister getting home and giving this serious issue the urgent attention that it deserves.

The first step is postponing all logging and clearing of cockatoo habitat while we work out what can be done to prevent the extinction of these much-loved West Australian icons.”

West Australians concerned about the survival of our unique cockatoo species should contact their local MP AND attend a  Special Environment Matters seminar: Wed Feb 8 (Perth) Why are WA’s rare and endangered cockatoos starving?

 

 

FOOTNOTE:  Lesley Dewar (of Stories My Nana Tells) attended the meeting on Jan 16 and had an extensive tour of the facilities at Kaarakin with Cathie Dewhurst, one of their staff.  She would like to acknowledge the assistance of Channel10 who provided the link to the news broadcast and the excellent support for her earlier article Black Cockatoos Are Starving In Western Australia , which has been distributed through Social Media channels on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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