I don't want to be labelled purely as a champion for replanting but ....
No-one subscribed to this list is going to dispute that putting an end to
land clearing is far more efficient and economical than replanting after it
has been cleared. The point I make is simply that in much of south-eastern
Australia the land clearing was done 50 to 150 years ago and it is these
areas that are the centre of distribution for many of our endangered and
declining woodland birds. There is the opportunity to repair areas where
this overclearing has occurred and we MUST make the effort for the sake of
the struggling populations of Regent Honeyeaters, Hooded Robins and Bush
Thick-knees (or Stone Curlews if you prefer - I don't think we need a
discussion on preferred names at this stage) and the like out there.
I see nothing wrong with going out and assisting with well thought out and
planned tree planting programs during the day and then going home and
writing letters about land clearing that night. I'm sure that the hundreds
of people that have participated with tree planting at Lurg and the
Capertee Valley alone would agree with me.
Hope to see you all at Lurg planting trees on 22/23 August (note that we
have thoughtlessly organised the Regent Honeyeater/Swift Parrot survey on
the other tree planting weekend of 8/9 August).
David Geering
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