#InternationalForestsDay Forests Worth More Alive Than Dead

Today is #InternationalForestsDay, a global reminder of the crucial role forests play in maintaining our climate, supplying the oxygen we need to breath, and providing habitat for wildlife. But in Australia, instead of protecting our forests, our governments are still chopping them down like there’s no tomorrow.

For this week’s #FloraAndFaunaFriday it’s a sad story I need to tell. Because our forests are home to adorable but endangered Australian species like the Greater Glider, Leadbeater’s Possum and Gang-gang Cockatoos. Since 2000, Australia has trashed almost eight million hectares of its forests and bushland through logging and clearning. That’s the equivalent of over 4 million MCGs!

I’ve seen the destruction firsthand. This photo of my son standing in front of a logged forest in Victoria is devastating. The towering trees that once stood storing carbon and providing a home to Aussie wildlife, were reduced to stumps and debris. For toilet paper, cardboard and wooden pallets!

Why Our Forests Matter

Forests are not just scenic landscapes - they are vital ecosystems. They:

🌏 Oxygenate our atmosphere - every breath we take depends on forests.

🌿 Store carbon - helping mitigate the climate crisis.

🦉 Provide habitat - home to species.

💧 Protect water catchments - safeguarding clean drinking water for communities.

But Australia is one of the world’s worst deforesters. While other nations invest in reforestation, our state governments keep logging native forests, and the Federal Government enables this destruction through so-called “Regional Forest Agreements” (RFAs) - loopholes that exempt native forest logging from the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. This means logging that threatens endangered species and destroys carbon stores is effectively unregulated at a national level. That’s why back in 2003 during my #ClimateHungerStrike I called for an end to native forest logging.

Enough is Enough: It’s Time to Take Action

We can’t afford to sit back while Australia’s forests are destroyed. If you care about climate, biodiversity, the oxygen we breath and future generations, here’s what you can do:

✅ Donate or volunteer with the Bob Brown Foundation, a frontline organisation leading the fight to protect Australia’s forests.

✅ Attend the March for Forests this coming Sunday - join thousands of Aussies in different cities and towns calling for an end to native forest logging.

✅ Spread awareness - share this post, tell your friends, and call out political leaders who continue to allow native forest destruction.

Our forests are worth more to us alive than they are dead. Let’s fight for them.

📸 Have you witnessed forest destruction or enjoyed the beauty of Australia’s forests? Share your thoughts and photos in the comments section below.

#FloraAndFaunaFriday #InternationalForestsDay #SaveOurForests #StopNativeForestLogging #ClimateAction #Biodiversity #ForestsNotLogging