Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 55
Thought you might enjoy this little film I made recently, about a month before I came up this tree. It’s called Harvey Norman and the Homeless Animals. The first part was filmed very close to here, in fact. In the Styx Valley. A logging coupe known as SX09B. The film stars my wonderful mum (though she may be difficult to recognise, being dressed up as a native animal). It also features footage of animals seen on our hidden cameras in this coupe, and the other Tyenna coupes near-by. Hope you enjoy!
I’m writing this as I listen to the sound of rain falling softly on the tarp and the wind rustling leaves outside. It feels so calm compared to last night…another wild and windy tree top adventure! I climbed to the top of my tree – (admittedly not too difficult as it is only a few meters away from the platform). And sat in one of the top most branches, watching the wind rip through the trees around me. Feeling my tree sway and shake, the branches bend, the leaves pushed and pulled, straining as though trying to break free from their stems. All around me the forest was in motion. I could see the trees dancing on the ridges opposite me. They are appear somehow synchronised and haphazard at the same time, as they sway to the beat of the wind. It was all fun and games, until the rain came. It pelted down with no mercy. And the wind whipped at my tarp, ripping it from its eye-lets. Water was gushing into my house, near my bed. As I hurriedly repaired that corner, I turned around to see puddles forming beneath constantly dripping holes in the tarp. A quick and inventive patch up of these with some tape and garbage bags seemed to do the trick, for a moment at least. While I was doing this, the other corner suddenly broke free and the wind drove the rain into my storage area. I had to quickly finish the garbage bag patch up and move on to the new problem. I just hoped that this would be the last one. The wind beat at the tarp so relentlessly that the movement shook lose the tape. Buckets and containers under the leaks was the best I could do at that stage. The calmness of today gave me the reprieve I needed to get those holes and eye-lets fixed. And now it feels comforting and cosy beneath the tarp while the rain falls outside. My fairy lights given to me at christmas time, providing a multicoloured glow of light by which to type.
Hope you’re all as cosy and comfy as me, tonight. Enjoy the movie and I’ll catch you tomorrow.
Miranda
Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 53
I want to introduce you to a few new friends I’ve made recently.
The first day we met I woke up early in the morning to the sound of tapping. In my sleepy haze I had a moment of panic, leaning of the side of the platform to peer down below… was someone trying to climb up? No. I settled back into the swag and there it was again, a tapping sound. I looked around, couldn’t see anything, looked under the platform again… nothing. Then I saw her, peek out from behind my solar panel. Carra the Carrawong. I tried ever so quietly to reach for my camera, but she wasn’t fooled. She noticed the movement and off she went. The next morning, she was there again. And once again avoided any photography. On the third morning, she was a bit more curious and a little less timid of me. I managed to capture a few pics of her as she made her way closer and closer into my house.
This is Lizzie. We met on my very first day up here. And like Carra, Lizzie was camera shy to start with. She liked to hang out on the trunk of the tree just where the platform is. But whenever I got out my camera she’d scuttle away. Lizzie became more and more confident with me over time. And it wasn’t long before my tree sit became part of her home too. She enjoyed exploring all around my sit. Sometimes she would see me watching her and sit and watch me for awhile too. Eventually, she seemed content that I was safe and started hanging out with me more often. Then one day I had a realisation – Lizzie wasn’t always the same Lizzie! I noticed one time that her colour was a different shade to the rest of her, like she has lost her tail and it has grown back. The next time I said hello to Lizzie I saw a tail unmarked. So that is how I met Lizzie number 2. Now called Dizzie. And then, not long after I noticed another lizard, slightly smaller than Dizzie, and that is how I met Skinks. Prehaps there are actually hundreds of different lizards? I don’t know, but as time goes on I guess I begin to notice their subtle differences.
This morning Dizzie came running wildly along the inside of the gutter, hurtling towards the end…. Oh no! I cried out. But it was too late. I couldn’t believe it. I sat sitting watching the space where I had seen him plummeting to the ground… it is a very long way down for a little lizard. Not a fall he would be likely to survive. I sat there in shock and devastation. And then suddenly…. Dizzie pops his little face up from the side of the gutter!!! I have never been so happy to see a pair of little lizard eyes! I realised that he must have skidded at the end and pushed the dead leaves out from the gutter… fluttering to the ground. Ah…. I sighed with relief.
Ok, well, I’m not sure if I’d actually say we friends. I guess I’m not the best friend to these guys, because I never really want to hang out! But I feel like if I make an effort to be friendly and give them names I’ll feel a little less intimidated by them. Well, really they don’t all have names. There are far too many. Mostly I just call them all Spidey. Though there is one particular one that as his own name. Mr Scarry Legs. He lives in a little hole in the side of the tree, beside the platform. I think he really should have chosen a bigger house, to be honest, because his little legs are always sticking out! That’s all I ever see of him, these black legs poking out of the hole. He must be off on adventures during the day because his legs only appear as the sun begins to set. (I haven’t managed to get a good photo of him yet, but when I do, I’ll let you know).
Hope you enjoyed meeting some of my Observer Tree friends!
In other exciting news… my tree is beginning to flower! I took a photo the other day of the very first flower to appear on my tree.
Talk to you tomorrow,
Miranda
Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 52
So, I guess it’s official. The Observer Tree is going down in history. Today marks day 52 of my time at the top of this tree, making me the new holder of the Tasmanian record for the longest time in a tree. How does it feel to be the new record holder? Well, to be honest, I wish I wasn’t. I wish I didn’t have to spend the last 52 days in this tree watching over this forest…. Because I shouldn’t have to. This forest should have been protected. It is a shame that Peck had to sit in a tree almost five years ago, just over the ridge there, in the middle of the Styx valley, for 51 days. It is a shame that it still needs to be done today. After all the promises made by the government… that these forests still remain under threat.
Although it’s a shame that I have to be here, I’m glad that I am doing it. If the government is going to continue to break their promise and if Ta Ann are going to keep pushing the destruction of these forests… then I just cannot stand by. I do not want to see these forests lost forever. I do not want to see these forests lost in silence, behind locked gates, out of view from the public. These past weeks have been an inspiration, as I have been able to show this forest to people all around the world and I have seen the level of support for these forests that is truly out there.
These past 52 days have been some of the most amazing times. Connecting with this tree and this forest. Getting to know the insects, the birds and animals here. Getting to feel like I am a part of this forest. It has of course held some of challenging times too. Hearing trees felled as logging continues in the area adjacent to me as been difficult on a daily basis. And not knowing how long it will be until the forest is protected. The signing of a false “conservation agreement” that saw no end to the logging of high conservation value forests was also a difficult moment. To hear that an agreement had been finally made, as we had all been waiting for… only to find out that it would allow logging to continue as usual, was devastating. Especially as I sat here and watched over this forests, knowing it has come so close to being protected and now it could be lost forever, all because of the government’s failed promise.
Everyone who supports The Observer Tree, I’d love your support for our upcoming global 24 hours of action. Please get on board, take part in this easy action and help send a message to the companies involved. Help me to show to them that there are people all around the world who want to see these forests protected.
I had a chat to Peck last night. He offered his support for what I am doing. And he also felt that it is such a shame that these kinds of actions are still needed in Tasmania. When will this end? When will these forests be safe?
Check out this footage from Peck’s tree sit:
Media Release: Miranda Gibson breaks Tasmanian tree sitting record
Friday February 3rd, 2012
Today Miranda Gibson has broken the Tasmanian record for the longest time spent at the top of a tree. Miranda has been on a platform 60 meters from the ground for 52 days, and will remain there to highlight the ongoing destruction of Tasmania’s forests.
“I am 100% committed to staying up here to draw attention to the continued destruction of these world-class forests, and the broken promise of the Australian and Tasmanian governments. This ancient tree that I’m sitting was ear-marked for protection. Now, due to Ta Ann’s demand for wood sourced from these high conservation value forests, this area is under immediate threat” said Ms Gibson.
Peter ‘Peck’ Firth, the previous Tasmanian tree sit record holder, who spent 51 days in an old growth tree in the Styx Valley in 2006, offered support and encouragement to Miranda today from Western Australia.
“I’d like to acknowledge the courage and dedication of Miranda and all the people supporting her in her effort. It is not easy working for the protection of the high conservation value forests” said Mr Firth.
“This is a tragedy that Miranda and all the other good people to this day have to spend their time honouring agreements broken by the forestry industry. I look forward to the day we can all enjoy the wilderness forest for their true value without fear of their destruction. Until then our resolve to see their protection will not waiver as Miranda is demonstrating” said Mr Firth.
Miranda’s tree sit, known as The Observer Tree, has received international attention over the past 52 days. Using solar power and internet access Miranda has been able to bring Tasmania’s spectacular forests to people’s homes all around the world.
On 14 and 15 February, a global 24 hours of action in support of The Observer Tree will call on the Japanese customers of Ta Ann to cease purchasing wood coming from Tasmania’s high conservation value forests.
To view footage of Peter Firth being pulled out of his tree by helicopter in 2006, visit http://youtu.be/MWoYbA3nMM8
For more information about Ta Ann and their Japanese customers, visit www.taann.com.au
Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 50
I can hardly believe that seven weeks have gone by already! In a way it doesn’t feel like it has been that long. I guess I have kept busy with lots of blogging. And skypeing into all sorts of stalls, festivals and forums too!
Tonight I skyped into the Derwent Valley community forum. It was a great forum and the conversation went for about an hour and half. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to talk to local people who live in this area. There were loads of questions about the forest agreement, Ta Ann, the international day of action, and also some personal ones about the highs and lows I have experienced so far, and the challenges that may be yet to come. Thank you to those who came along. It was really inspiring to hear what everyone had to say. And it’s great to have the local support.
Derwent Valley Community Forum
One of the questions asked tonight was about the claims made by Ta Ann that they are receiving only regrowth logs. The company claims that their machines only take logs of a certain diameter therefore they are only regrowth logs. This is something Ta Ann have tried to use as an excuse, however it is misleading. It is true that they only take logs of a certain diameter. What is also true is that these logs often come from high conservation value and old growth forests. Like the forest I am sitting in right now. The recent report released by the independent schedulers who assessed Forestry Tasmania’s data indicated that the coupes being logged now that are in the area ear-marked for protection are being logged to provide wood to Ta Ann. These are forests that were meant to be protected by the conservation agreement. This forest here has never been logged before. It is not regrowth. It contains mixed ages of trees and mixed species. Some giant old eucalypts like the one I’m sitting in, and some younger ones that have grown from a natural fire event in the landscape many years ago. To destroy this entire forest (and it will be completely destroyed with nothing left at all once they cable log it) to provide wood for Ta Ann means that the company is implicated in the destruction of old growth forests. This is regardless of the size or age of the individual trees they choose to take.
Another question relating to Ta Ann was how much choice do they have in the matter of which forest is cut down. It is up to Ta Ann which logs they choose to accept or not. It is up to Ta Ann if they wish to take wood from high conservation value and old growth forests. They can refuse this wood at any time. Yet, instead they continue to accept these logs and are therefore the current driver for the continued destruction of our ancient forests. That is why it is so important to put pressure on the company to change their policies. One way to do this is to call on their customers, the companies in Japan, to refuse to buy wood from Ta Ann unless they move to a sustainable option. Through this market pressure, we can hopefully bring about a change for Tasmania’s forests and the opportunity for real conservation outcomes. Please take a minute to email the companies through this online action. And tell all your friends about it too!
It’s very exciting to hear plans being made in the local Derwent Valley for an action on Feb 15 as part of the Global 24 Hours of Action. If your thinking of doing something in your local area, don’t forget to let me know as soon as possible. Email me: observertree2011@gmail.com
Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 49
Wow! What an exciting day! Today marks the beginning of an awesome and hard-hitting campaign targeted towards the Japanese companies buying wood from Ta Ann that has come Tasmania’s high conservation value forests. 90% of the Ta Ann group’s plywood is being sold to Japanese companies, including Panasonic, Daiwa House, Sekisui House and Eidai.
For those that haven’t done so already… click here to send an email to those companies, calling on them to stop sourcing wood from native forests.
Today is just the beginning! This campaign has the potential to really create some change for Tasmania’s forests. Many of Japanese companies involved seem to promote themselves in different ways as being environmentally conscious. It is important that they know that purchasing veneer from Ta Ann is implicating them in the ongoing destruction of ancient forests and that people all around the world are calling for this to end.
It is a great lead in to our upcoming Global 24 Hours of Action too. This action will show these companies just how much people around the world want to see the destruction of these forests stopped.
Here are the recommendations being made to the companies:
- Cease to take wood supply from Ta Ann whilst they:
– source wood from highly contentious old growth and high conservation value forests already identified and recommended by the Intergovernmental Agreement on Tasmania’s forests – this is recommended for an area comprising 572 000 hectares
– demand legislated supply from native forests
– fail to meet timber procurement guidelines set down by your company
- Correct any claims regarding wood source and the ecological sustainability of Ta Ann’s product
- Request a genuine plantation-only wood source for product from Tasmanian forests
- Require Ta Ann to move to a plantation-only wood supply within a defined period, making a rapid transition out of native forests
- Require that the wood supply from Tasmania meets timber procurement guidelines that specifically exclude the purchase of timber made from Australia’s high conservation value native forests, and from primary forests overseas. Forests like those in Tasmania, which are identified for protection by all environment groups, should be excluded. In addition, such policies need to give preference to plantation timber with full Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. PEFC certification is totally inadequate for Australian product.
Thanks to our friends at Huon Valley Environment Center, The Last Stand and Markets for Change for all their awesome work on today’s campaign launch. For more information check out: www.taann.com.au
Stay tuned for more details on Ta Ann and the campaign. And don’t forget to add your name to the cyber action!
Hope you all had a great day! Sorry for not blogging yesterday. Last night was a very hectic evening, with some wild winds! My tarp just didn’t want to stay hooked into the guttering. Even when I put 20ltr water container there to hold it down, the wind just flipped it up! It was hard to stay completly dry, but I managed to fair okay in the end. It was definitely the windiest weather I’ve had so far up here. The new wind generator was getting a good run though!
Talk to you tomorrow,
Miranda
Cyber Action
Please take a few minutes to help us protect Tasmania’s forests. It’s easy. Just click here and fill in your details to send an automatic email to the Japanese companies who are currently purchasing wood from Ta Ann Tasmania.
This action was launched today and with the help of our friends at Markets for Change, The Last Stand and the Huon Valley Environment Center, and with your help too, it looks like it’ll be a big one! Lets send the message far and wide.
Check out www.taann.com.au for more info.
In addition an action took place this morning in a logging coupe in the Picton Valley in southern Tasmania. With banner messages in both English and Japanese, the action highlighted the ongoing destruction caused by Ta Ann. The action called on those companies involved (including Sekisui House, Eidai, Daiwa House and Panasonic) to stop selling the products from this forest destruction.
Derwent Valley Community Forum
To all the locals of the Derwent Valley…. Come along to this exciting event for the chance to ask me questions and find out a bit more about what I’m up to. Please help spread the word!
COME AND ASK QUESTIONS OF MIRANDA
Have you heard that a young woman called Miranda Gibson has been sitting 60m up in a tree in our Valley for over 6 weeks!! WHY??
Miranda is sitting in a forest near Mt Mueller west of Maydena. This forest was promised immediate protection by the Gillard Government last August, but is now about to be logged.
Come and ask Miranda questions about what she is doing, via computer link-up from the Derwent Valley Community House, The Avenue, New Norfolk – Wednesday 1st Feb at 7-8.30pm.
For more details please call Inger 6261 3042
Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 46
I was beaming! Beaming with excitement and beaming across the net, past these mountains and forests and straight into Parliament lawns in Hobart. What a fantastic experience to be one of the key speakers at the Picnic in the Park event and have the opportunity to tell the crowd of people gathered today all about this area of forest I’m living in. And to encourage everyone to get on board and get active (with a special reminder to people about the upcoming global 24 hours of action coming up on February 15).
The day was a great success with a good turn out and all the technology running smoothly too! I really enjoyed Senator Christine Milne’s speech, in which she raised some questions we should all be asking Forestry Tasmania and the government , in relation to Ta Ann’s wood contract. For example, does Ta Ann only have to pay for the wood that leaves Tasmania on their ships as veneer? This means that all the wood that goes through their gates but which they reject, all the wood that becomes waste product during their processing, all the wood that they do not eventually ship overseas, is never paid for. And why are the details of the contract censored on Forestry Tasmania’s website, when it is a contract that concerns all Tasmanians?
Christine’s media release today requests answers from Forestry to the following list of questions:
” 1.How is it that after Forestry Tasmania lost two thirds of its contracts with the demise of Gunns, that it has to log inside the 430,000 hectares of HCV forests to meet one third of its contracts?
2.Has Forestry Tasmania over allocated the forests?
3.Has Forestry Tasmania massively over cut the forests over a long period of time and would not have been able to meet both Gunns and Ta Ann’s contracts if both were still in business?
4.Does the TA Ann contract only require Ta Ann to pay for the volumes that leave the wharf and not for the logs that are delivered to its plant?
5.Where do the unpaid for rejected logs and waste go?
6.When the Commonwealth gave Ta Ann $10 million to set up in Tasmania , it was to process lesser quality logs hence not from HCV areas, how is it that Ta Ann is now demanding logs from HCV areas?
7.Who changed the specifications of the original contract?”
The speeches were followed by a more informal discussion, giving people from the audience a chance to ask questions. After this I was moved to a new location, a tent where people could come and chat to me individually. It was so wonderful to talk to people about what I’m doing up here, to share ideas, hear people’s thoughts and opinions and to receive message of support. Thanks to everyone that came along today I hope you were inspired by the day as I was!
Here are a few photos from today taken by photographer Alan Lesheim.
Facepainting
Sara Maynard - Tasmanian Aboriginal Council
Senator Chirstine Milne
Vica introduces me to the audience
My moment on the big screen!
Jenny Weber - Huon Valley Environment Centre
Taking part in discussion group
Discussion group audience
And talking on the small screen
For those not in Hobart, sorry that you missed out. But there is always the option of organising something in your local town!
Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 42 & 43
Logging coupe in Tasmania's north west where today's action took place
Ta Ann Tasmania has been put in the spotlight over these past few days, for the role in the continued destruction of Tasmania’s high conservation value forests. Yesterday 25 conservationists entered the Ta Ann veneer mill in the Huon Valley, halting operations and drawing attention to the ancient forest destruction that is occurring to supply wood to this company. Jenny Weber, from the Huon Valley Environment Centre was the spokesperson for the action and stated that “The Tasmanian Government’s own reports show Ta Ann is the major driver for logging in old-growth and HCV forests,”
The concern around Ta Ann’s practises is growing, with more actions occurring today. In Tasmania’s south and also in the north west, actions took place in logging coupes that should have been protected by the Intergovernmental Agreement, yet are now being felled to feed Ta Ann’s mills.
‘The forests we are protesting in today are key targets for Ta Ann’s wood supply. Ta Ann is misleading Japanese customers and the public by peddling misinformation that they receive timber from regrowth and plantation areas in Tasmania only. The Southern protest in the Picton Valley forest is within 2km of a cave system that has indigenous and environmental values of international significance. These forests have never been logged before and conservationists have identified celery top pines that were 150 years old that have been felled,’ Jenny Weber said.
‘The conservation agreement signed on the 13th of January by the State and Federal governments does absolutely nothing to protect Tasmania’s globally unique forests including areas such as these in the North West of the state. It is still business as usual in the forests, with old growth and high conservation value forests tracts still being lost despite being promised protection by the Federal Government in August last year.” said spokesperson for Code Green Jared Irwin. ‘Code Green are committed to ongoing action until Tasmania’s irreplaceable wild forests receive true protection.’
Tasmania devil seen in the area that is now being logged to supply wood to Ta Ann
In addition, Ta Ann was the focus today for environmental NGO Markets For Change (MFC), who publically released a letter they sent to Forestry Tasmania, calling for an admission that Ta Ann is in fact receiving timber from high conservation native forests, contrary to the misleading claims currently being made by Ta Ann. MFC noted that in the annual report of Ta Ann Holding it is cited that Ta Ann Tasmania uses ‘plantation eucalypt.” This is also reiterated on the website of Ta Ann shareholder company Sumisho & Mitsuibussan Kenzai Co Ltd (SMKC) on a page devoted to their Tasmanian product, which states that “We produce there veneer from high-quality eucalyptus plantations…” (http://www.smkc.co.jp/eco/participation.html). Yet this is simply incorrect, as MFC pointed out Ta Ann Tasmania itself admitted that it requires native forest timber, in their submission to a House of Representatives Committee and in evidence under oath to a Legislative Council Committee.
Markets For Change have called on Forestry Tasmania to make a public statement clarifying the fact that Ta Ann is receiving wood from native forests. The letter states
“While the content of its Annual Report it is obviously the responsibility of TAHB, we believe that it is the responsibility of Forestry Tasmania, as the principal supplier of wood to TAT, to be clear and explicit with respect to the source of such wood so that TAHB can be confident of the veracity of statements it makes to shareholders, regulatory authorities, customers and the general public.”
“In the context of current forest conservation debate, the distinction between planted forest (plantation) and naturally regenerated forest (native forest) is highly significant. We believe that TAHB have made a mistake in how they have characterised sources of wood used by TAT mills in Tasmania and that this mistake may have significant market implications.”
It does indeed have market implications. Consumers are likely to believe the product is sustainable if it is labeled “eco” and claimed to be from plantations. Yet, here I am at the top of a tree that is centuries old, in the middle of a spectacular ancient forest that is due to be logged in order to supply Ta Ann with this so called “eco ply.” It is an absolute disgrace that they can place the word “eco” in front of a product that is driving the ongoing destruction of endangered species habitat! These past few days have been inspiring with so many conservationists speaking out against Ta Ann. Please help out by adding your voice at our upcoming Global 24 hours of action on Feb 14-15.
T h e O b s e r v e r T r e e 