I went to sleep lying in my swag, out on the deck beneath a sky full of stars, the moon throwing light across the mountains. I was going to write a blog, but the last thing I wanted was to be staring into the unnatural glow of the laptop, not on such a nice night. It’s become pretty rare, these days, to have such clear nights, and I wanted to soak it up while it lasted. Sleeping out on the deck is amazing, especially with my swag right near the edge of the platform, so it feels as though I am floating above the forest as I look out over the tree tops I thought of the possibility having to get up in the middle of the night and move in under the tarp, but it seemed worth the risk. In Summer I spent so many nights outside, and it reminds me of those days (wow, I’ve been up here long enough to feel nostalgic about the early days of my time in the tree!). Amazingly the night stayed clear and I awoke in the morning to an incredible sight. Above me stars were still twinkling as the sun began to make its first impression on the landscape. A thin glow of daylight began to creep into the sky above the dark silhouettes of mountains. Slowly as the glow brightened, the stars got fewer and fewer. Until it was only the final determined few who clung onto the night for as long as possible, before eventually giving their light away to the sunshine. It was one of those perfect sunrises… well, they all are so amazing up here! I could hear the birds up and about, making the most of the day already, as my tree began to glow with golden light.

And what followed was another perfectly sunny day. I couldn’t believe it. It was like summer had come back. I didnt’ even need to wear a jumper. But it’s hectic too… because like the birds that are madly flying around, I’m busily doing all the things that are best done on a sunny day… airing out my bedding, washing my clothes, etc.

It’s been a marvelous few days of sunny days and clear nights. Again tonight the moon is so bright I hardly need my torch to see my way around the platform. And although there are a few clouds, some stars have managed to find their way through. On nights like this I look out across the quiet forest around me and feel a sense of awe. I also feel a sense of sadness that this area is still open to logging, that could start at any time. Today’s announcement that the talks have still not come to any resolutions means that the forests are still at risk. In response to this announcement my organisation Still Wild Still Threatened along with the Huon Valley Environment Center, The Last Stand and Markets for Change issued the following statement:

MINISTER GREEN & FORESTRY TASMANIA MUST CEASE PROVOCATIVE ACTS

The Tasmanian government and Forestry Tasmania need to back off from the provocative acts they have taken in the last week which have been undermining the Tasmanian forest peace process, Markets for Change, the Huon Valley Environment Centre, The Last Stand, and Still Wild Still Threatened said today in response to a statement from the negotiators calling for more time and space to reach agreement.

“We suspended new overseas market initiatives and protests a fortnight ago as a gesture of encouragement after the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania finally agreed to sit down and talk, but Minister Bryan Green in particular has indulged in a series of provocations,” said Peg Putt of Markets for Change.

“He has announced a trial shipment of blackwood to China in order to eventually establish a new processing venture based on this rainforest species, thus assuming and setting up for entrenched logging in sensitive forests at increased volumes. This cannot be reconciled with the intention of the talks to reserve substantial new areas and decrease volumes of native forest logging with a transition to plantations.”

“The Minister followed with an even more inflammatory action giving the go-ahead for Tarkine mining, a move designed to rebuff effective reserve creation.”
“There is increasing urgency that these talks get to the point of reserving forests and reworking wood supply and we are not going to sit on the sidelines for months whilst the forests in question continue to fall,” Ms Putt said.

“We appreciate that the issues are complex, but we are also increasingly concerned that the pressing nature of the conservation claim is not being acknowledged by restraint on logging destruction of the areas,” said Miranda Gibson of Still Wild Still Threatened from the Observer Tree in a threatened forest coupe.

“It was devastating to hear on Monday that, although the signatories agreed to no new contracts, Forestry Tasmania have in fact signed up 22 logging contracts in the past year, eleven of which are completely new ones, and all obviously designed to nullify forest protection,” Ms Gibson said.

“We will maintain a close watching brief for the moment, but are exceedingly concerned that the longer the negotiations are drawn out the more magnificent forests we lose to the chainsaw,” said Jenny Weber of the Huon Valley Environment Centre.

“We are waiting with high anxiety for some demonstration of the good faith that is claimed to exist,” Ula Majewski of The Last Stand concluded.