The treesit
This treesit has been occupied since November 13, 2003 continuously and is a jointly run project of Greenpeace and the Wilderness Societ, aimed at preventing the clearfelling of the largest hardwood trees remaining on the planet. I was here for about a week and we had visitors from all over Australia, and not just alternative types. Aussies from all walks of life have heard about this place and want to visit "The Valley of the Giants" and see the place still protected from the clearfelling going on just outside it's borders. I was lucky enough to spend a night in the sit. It sways a bit in the wind, but the view, as you might expect, is awesome!
Sakyo
Sakyo, in the sit more or less continuously since it's inception. Sakyo is from Japan, and has become absolutely captivated with preseving this forest. This tree, along with everything else in the forest here is slated to be clearfelled and woodchipped by Forestry Tasmania and sent to Japan to make paper. A stupid idea from start to finish! Here, Sakyo orders dinner from basecamp (yes, really). You can also see his laptop, where he can do his daily weblogs to TWS. There is also an iridium satellite phone for immediate communication to the outside world. While others join Sakyo from time to time, he is the master. A quiet and reserved individual, Sakyo has gained notariety worldwide, and respect from all who meet him. It's been almost 4 months, and although he comes down from time to time, he's still up there as I write this. Good on ya Sakyo!
Disaster!
Here's what Forestry Tas wants to do with Sakyo's tree, and the rest of this temperate rainforest. Incredible, isn't it? The areas are first clearfelled, then burned by dropping a napalm-like substance from helicopters creating an absolute infreno (visible from Hobart some 50 miles distant) then the plantation is begun by planting only eucalyptus trees in nice neat rows. Gone are the huge ferns, myrtles, sassafrass and celery top pines that also grow here. Monoculture is the game, and it's all for paper. Along with this is the 'planting' of the dreaded 'blue carrots'--these are carrots laced with compound 1080, meant to kill everything that would want to eat the rows upon rows of tasty seedlings. Hence, Tas is cynically referred to by some as "The Blue Carrot State."
