Community carbon-accounting days

Let's find out the true value of Tasmania's forests

In addition to providing us with clean air and clean water, our forests also play an important role in managing the Earth’s climate, by regulating the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Volunteers measuring the carbon contained in the forest in the Upper Florentine. This forest is scheduled for logging, meaning most of the carbon will be released into the atmosphere as carbon pollution.

With the help of a team of volunteers, we have been measuring the amount of carbon stored in forests around Tasmania which are scheduled for logging. Measurements have taken place in the Upper Florentine, the Styx Valley, the Blue Tier and the Tarkine.

You can join us, and find out how much we have to lose if these special places are destroyed by logging for woodchips.

This is your opportunity to discover (or rediscover) Tasmania’s beautiful forests, and contribute to the climate change solution at the same time.

Click here to see photos of volunteers measuring carbon in the Tarkine in October 2009.

Community carbon-accounting days

Future community carbon-accounting days are being organised, and details will be listed here as soon as they are available.

In the meantime, to register your interest or to find out more contact the Hobart Campaign Centre on (03) 6224 1550 or email hobart@wilderness.org.au

Please note: these carbon-accounting days may be cancelled at short notice if there are any safety concerns due to inclement weather, high winds or high fire danger.

Why forests are important

Volunteers measuring carbon in the Tarkine, October 2009

Every day Tasmania’s forests breathe in carbon dioxide, store it as carbon in their trunks, branches, woody debris and soil and breathe out oxygen. This process, called photosynthesis, means that forests all over the world, including Tasmania, have played a crucial role in providing this planet with a safe climate. Unfortunately, forests all over the world are being logged and cleared, releasing stored carbon as greenhouse pollution and contributing to the climate change problem.

Forestry Tasmania has publicly refused to measure the carbon lost through logging and under current Government policies, the full emissions from logging and landclearing are not being measured as part of Tasmania’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. This approach is akin to Tasmania burying its head in the sand and is unacceptable - so we have decided to do something about it.

Let’s show the Tasmanian Government how important our forests are in the fight against climate change. Let’s convince them to protect them for the sake of the planet and the future of our kids.