I want to say “thank you” but the word seems so small that it cannot possibly explain how I feel. It cannot explain the deeply emotional and personal journey that the global 24 hours of action has taken me on. It cannot explain how positively overwhelming it was to receive so much support. Email after email after email rolling in to support me and support these forests. It cannot explain the realisation that I had on that day, the discovery that I’d still been carrying a layer of numbness, a defensive shield that held true hope at bay. I hadn’t even realised it was there until now, until this action cut through that layer of numbness right to my heart. As the actions rolled in from around the world, I felt for the first time in a long time a raw and honest feeling of real hope and inspiration.

Despite being exhausted from both excitement and stress (it was a big day!), I lay awake that night unable to sleep. And as I looked out across the dark silhouette of Mount Field I started to cry. It’s strange crying at times when you are happy. But it is not just happiness, it is an emotion all mixed up in happiness, relief, appreciation (and maybe a little sadness for the realisation that hope had not always been around). And I also couldn’t sleep because I was anxiously wondering how I could  possibly show you all how much your actions mean to me. I want you to know how valued and appreciated your efforts are and I lay awake worrying that you wouldn’t realise that!

One of the things that is really spectacular about this action is how far and wide the support came from, and I don’t just mean geographically (though with 15 countries… that is pretty far and wide!!). Support came in from activists like the Sea Shepherd crew and the Occupy Newhaven crew, and it came from people who have probably never used the word “activist” to describe themselves, and who maybe never would. It came from old friends (including an old friend of mine from school who I haven’t seen in over 10 years) and it came from people who don’t know me, have never met me, but have been inspired by my story. It came from children and young people and elderly. It came from people who have spent time in these forests and from people who have only just found out about the forest issue from my blog. It came from big cities and tiny country towns. Support just flowed in from all across the world!!

I feel like I am the witness to something remarkable… (it is like seeing a rare orchid in the moment it comes into flower).

And so I am sitting here wondering how I can thank you all enough. How I can show you really how much it means to me and I’m sure how much it means to these forests! This is why the word “thank you” is just not enough because it cannot portray the feeling I have of hopefulness and the sense now that I am not alone. It is like I said in my blog about heroes – I wanted us to all stand together. I want to be in this WITH you, and now I feel like this is truly how it is. We are all in this together, and with so much support from around the world I really believe that together we will be able to bring about the change that we need for these forests.

Everyone who took part in this action you are an inspiration for me. You have inspired me and reinvigorated my committment to stay in this tree and to keep up the fight for these forests.

That is my personal thank you. I also want to say thank you on behalf of the trees and the animals. Because this action is going to have a big impact on the campaign and it is very well timed. There has been an awful lot going on in Tasmania over the past week and things are really heating up around the forest issue. I will write more about that in my blog soon. But for now I want to say that it is a crucial time to be able to show how many people all around the world want to see these forests protected. Your images will be delivered to the Japanese corporate customers of Ta Ann early next week. We will also be delivering them to some other key people who need to know that the world is watching.

Please help us make the most out of everyone’s amazing efforts, and spread the word about the incredible day of action. You will find an article on my blog that you can use anywhere and everywhere. It has been translated into German already also. If you haven’t checked out the slide show, take a look, I guarantee it will inspire you!!

Thanks so much everyone for the biggest and most amazing global action for Tassie forests!!!

Thanks for being my hero 😉