Cry of the Forests

The McGowan Government recently announced that logging of old growth forests in WA would end in 2024. This decision may be partly attributed to the documentary film Cry of the Forests which I went to see this week. It was sad to see these magnificent trees come crashing down as bulldozers moved in. Little creatures shivered with fright and lost their habitat.

Clip from the trailer on YouTube

Film synopsis:

WA’s south-west forests are part of one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet and are recognised for their ability to capture and store carbon.
They are vital to slowing run-away climate change, yet, instead of preserving them, we are cutting them down at an alarming rate for charcoal, firewood and wood chips.
Forests play a crucial role in the water cycle, but the streams that once bubbled through these ecological communities are drying up and the critical habitat they provide for endangered species is shrinking.
Cry of the Forests takes viewers to the heart of the forests to see first-hand the beauty of these towering ecosystems and the life they support.
We meet the activists armed with GoPro’s and dressed in camouflage gear who have risked their lives to bear witness and capture the devastation occurring in our forests. We will also meet traditional custodians, tourist operators & farmers on the frontline of the battle to protect our forests.

There is a lot more to the story, though. For a start, logging will only be prohibited in areas of forest where no trees have been logged, (even 100 years ago and their stumps are left) or are diseased. The "thinnings" from logging are being sold as environmentally friendly firewood (better than coal, for example) in the form of pellets for wood-fired stoves and exported to countries such as Japan.

In addition to this, there remains the threat of bauxite mining. The huge jarrah trees near Jarrahdale, an hour’s drive from Perth, grow best over bauxite deposits. The bauxite seems to act as a sponge to retain the water that these trees require. The American companyAlcoa has already mined areas near Jarradale and have plans for expansion. If this goes ahead, these forests  will never recover. Alcoa has attempted to regenerate land after mining has finished, but the trees planted are weak and spindly. Old growth jarrah has taken 100 years to mature.

A historic feature and an indicator of the large growth potential for jarrah 

Australia is one of the world’s largest bauxite producers. It is mined using open cast mining, whereby the topsoil and “overburden” is removed by bulldozers and scrapers. The topsoil is then stored and later used for regeneration. Bauxite is the main component in aluminium manufacturing. There must be a better way.

Join the campaign: https://saveourjarrah.org/about-jfp/