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Updated: October 07, 2012
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Community yarn stiches up logging
Forest activists are a common sight around the Leo's Foot forest area north of Melbourne. They come from all walks of life to rally against the destructive logging of native forest and endangered animals’ habitat, but recently a new segment of the community hiked up the mountain to lend a hand.
Through the rising morning mist, six grandmothers and two grandfathers made the trek up Monda Track to the notorious logging area on Mount Saint Leonard.
With knitting needles, yarn, comfortable chairs, and chocolates in hand, they settled into a productive 'knit-in' in the Toolangi state forest. This unorthodox yet highly effective action was successful in stopping logging for a few hours while further galvanising the push behind stopping this senseless destruction.
This area is an important refuge for the endangered Fairy (Leadbeater's) Possum – Victoria's animal emblem. Tragically, over half of this endangered animal’s forest habitat was wiped out in the Black Saturday bushfires. It’s estimated only a few hundred Fairy Possums remain in the wild. The area being logged is an island of green in a sea of dead, charred tall forest – further adding to the urgency of the situation.
“Between us we have 28 grandchildren. We are all concerned they will never see our magnificent Mountain Ash forest,” says Kerryn Blackshaw, local Toolangi grandmother.
“Logging is costing Toolangi its tall trees. We must stop this destructive clearfelling in our local environment.”
This knit-in demonstrates that more than ever, under the watch of the Baillieu government, state logging agency VicForests continues to log forest against the wishes of the local community.
When Victoria police arrived at Leo’s Foot to attend the knit-in, the knitters left peacefully, without dropping a stitch.
The Liberal-National Baillieu government is dangerously out of step with public opinion, scientific evidence, and now, Toolangi knitters too.
TAKE ACTION
Email Premier Ted Baillieu and tell him that you don't want your tax money wasted on an unprofitable, unethical, unsustainable project that destroys native forest and will drive the Leadbeater's Possum to extinction.
Please sign the Ethical Paper Pledge and get your place of work to change their copy and printing paper to ones that don't destroy our native forests and endangered species habitat.
Support our campaign by making a tax deductible donation.
For more information, please contact:
The Wilderness Society Victoria Inc
288 Brunswick St
Fitzroy, Vic, 3065
Phone: 03 9038 0888
