Saving the ancient Wollemi pines forest

Determination inspires courageous action

In 1994, a bushwalker walking through a remote and deep canyon in Australia’s Blue Mountains, came upon a forest of ancient Wollemi pines.

Scientists and botanists from around the world were greatly excited by his discovery. One was quoted as saying, ‘this is the equivalent of finding a small dinosaur alive on earth today.’

That’s because the pines are now known to have lived for over one hundred million years, when dinosaurs still roamed. They are the oldest species of trees on earth.

SAD FACT: In January 2020 they were threatened by the worst bush fires Australia had ever experienced.

Brave firefighters were taken to the secret valley, where they worked hard to irrigate the pines in the face of the ferocious, and fast advancing fires.

GLAD FACT: The world saw images of a strips of green in an otherwise scorched landscape as evidence that the Wollemi pines had been saved because of this heroic work. (Courtesy of The Guardian).

It is an inspirational story, that led me and Min toward saving the silver radiants in their secret, and threatened Glintadel valley, in the book Min Barklin and the Silver Radiants.