* All Eyes On The Coral Triangle:
Failure to act on climate change and other threats to coastal ecosystems will be catastrophic for more than 100 million people in the Coral Triangle. For information on how climate change is affecting the Coral Triangle, and the work WWF is carrying out in this hugely important region.

* Call to businesses on Asia Pulp and Paper
Environmentally destructive forestry practices in Riau Province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra are destroying some of the last forests critical to the survival of Sumatran tigers and elephants. Since 1985, one pulp and paper company - Asia Pulp and Paper - has been responsible for clearing over 1 million hectares of lowland tropical forest. WWF is urging businesses with a responsible paper purchasing policy to review any business relations they may have with Asia Pulp and Paper. To find out more about WWF’s Global Forest & Trade Network. For more info on deforestation in Sumatra.

* GBR update
The Queensland Government recently introduced new legislation to cut pullution by 50 per cent over 4 years from dangerous run-off of farm pollution. The news laws will regulate operations of 4,500 farms to ensure they do not overuse fertilisers and pesticides. Read more.

‘Where can I get some of this heat?’ we hear you ask. Well, luckily, Australia has large areas of potential geothermal energy, enough in fact to generate one quarter of all our energy needs by 2050.

WWF recently released Power to Change: Australia’s Geothermal Future, the first in a series of reports looking into renewable energy technologies in Australia, and it is already making people sit up and take notice.

WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne, said: “Renewable energies like geothermal are the nuts and bolts of Australia’s clean economy.”

And it’s not just about energy. Renewable technologies could provide tens of thousands of jobs. By 2020, the geothermal industry is expected to employ 3,800 people. That number could grow to 17,300 by 2050.

• Download (PDF 5.9 MB)
• Media release: Geothermal energy to power jobs boom

Take action to stop the shooting of grey-headed flying-foxes - WWF supports the campaign to end the issuing of licences by the NSW Government to shoot this threatened species for crop protection.

Many are breeding females who are often wounded to die a slow and painful death. They also leave behind orphaned young, who then die from hunger and thirst. Queensland has already banned the shooting of flying foxes for crop protection.

It’s time NSW did the same.

www.thegreycross.org is a grass roots campaign directed at the NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Carmel Tebbutt. Through this campaign, they want to let her know the NSW people want her to change the laws that issue licences to shoot this endangered species. She will have the opportunity to move legislation to make the killing of flying foxes illegal in June 2009.

Sign the petition at www.thegreycross.org

More information on Grey-headed flying fox here

Key information and dates
24 images as selected by popular vote and editor’s picks will be reviewed by a judging panel who will then select the top 5 finalists.

From the top 5 images, one entry from Australia and one from New Zealand will be chosen based on popularity and photographic merit. Canon will donate $60,000 AUD to the Australian entrant’s nominated recipient and $25,000 NZD to the New Zealander entrant’s nominated recipient.

In addition to the cash donation, Canon will reward the winning entries and finalists with a Canon product prize pack.

The Creative for a Cause campaign will open to entries on Thursday 28 May and close Friday 10 July.
The top 24 finalists will be announced via the website on Thursday 16 July, 2009
The judging panel will review the top 24 images and announce the top five finalists via the website on Friday 31 July, 2009.
The winner will be announced on Thursday 6 August, 2009.

Here she tells us her story:

In 2008, a fire management plan was prepared by the Kimberley Land Council and Nyaliga Traditional Owners. The fire management plan for Karunjie involved undertaking an early dry season trip to the property, and trying to reinstate a more patchy mosaic burning regime and protecting the property from late season wildfires, through creation of fire breaks and a combination of aerial and on-ground burning.

May in northern Australia is dry season time, so Nyaliga Aboriginal Corporation members, Wunggurr Rangers, and Kimberley Land Council staff spent several days at Karunjie Station putting the fire management plan into action.

Aerial burning was carried out by Nyaliga Aboriginal Corporation Chairperson, Angelo D’Anna and the WA Fire and Emergency Services, and on-ground burning was carried out by Wunggurr Rangers and Phil Palmer, thankfully all went according to the plan!

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Richard Kingswood provided logistical and project support by providing a helicopter and pilot to assist with transport, and kindly provided the opportunity for Traditional Owners to get an aerial perspective of the landscape. Richard also briefed Nyaliga Traditional Owners and Wunggurr Rangers about the ‘EcoFire’ fire management project that Australian Wildlife Conservancy has been working on.

Helen and I were able to spend some time getting to know senior Traditional Owner, Noni Jarlott. I’d spoken to Noni a number of times on the phone, so it was great to finally meet her in person. Noni was previously involved in the legal trade of trapping Gouldian finches for the aviary trade, which is no longer operating, and so has a special interest in this beautiful species.

We also spent some time discussing Traditional Owners’ aspirations for Karunjie Station, searching for Gouldian finches and checking out the purple-crowned fairy wrens which live in thick stands of pandanus by the Durack River.

WWF species team staff plan to head back to the Kimberley in late September to undertake more monitoring for the Gouldian finch at small waterholes on Karunjie Station. Stay tuned for additional updates!

Thanks to Phil Palmer for organizing the trip, Rob Tunstall for project support, and to Nyaliga Traditional Owners and Wunggurr Rangers for sharing their time, stories and bush tucker with us.

Part one | Part two

Here she tells us her story:

Fire is a natural process in tropical savannas. The prevalence of fire in northern Australia is due to the monsoonal climate, in which the monsoonal rains promote rapid grass growth, followed by rapid drying out in the dry season, creating a highly flammable environment.

The systematic fire regime practiced by Aboriginal people over tens of thousands of years consisted of small-scale patchy fires lit for ceremony, hunting, travelling and protecting key resources. Unfortunately, this system has broken down, through depopulation of land and conversion of large areas to pastoral properties.

The current fire regime of northern Australia is dominated by frequent, extensive, hot, destructive late dry season wildfires. The regular incidence of high intensity wildfires is taking its toll on the landscapes and the wildlife it supports. For instance, the Gouldian finch, which used to be recorded in flocks of tens of thousands, now only occurs in small parts of its former range and has undergone significant population declines. The key threat to the Gouldian finch and other seed-eating birds is inappropriate fire regimes.

The “Fire and Gouldian Finch” project grew out of the recognition that action is required to address this issue in the east Kimberley region. The project commenced in 2006, by Nyaliga Aboriginal Corporation, with support from the Kimberley Land Council (KLC), Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) and WWF-Australia. It focuses on the Karunjie and Durack River properties, which contains a range of escarpment and riverine habitats. One key objective of the project is to improve fire management on the properties for broad biodiversity and cultural outcomes.

The Gouldian finch is known to occur in small numbers on Karunjie Station. It is hoped that finch and other seed-eating bird populations on the property will respond positively to improved fire regimes and that regular, long-term monitoring of populations can detect a response.

Back-to-country trips in the first two years of the project involved relationship building with stakeholders, recording traditional ecological knowledge and identifying and establishing long-term monitoring sites for the threatened Gouldian finch and purple-crowned fairy wren.

Part one | Part three

Here she tells us her story:

If you have seen the film “Australia”, you will see quite a lot of footage is taken of the majestic Cockburn Range. The ancient mesa rises 600 metres above the surrounding plains and has rich ribbons of fiery red and orange hues weaving through the cliff face. You get some fantastic views of the range driving along the famous Gibb River Road (check it out in the video!).

Helen and I met up with senior wildlife coordinator, Phil Palmer and Wunggurr Ranger, Lloyd Nulgit, who were doing the food shopping in Kununurra. Food shopping for remote bush trips is always a bit tricky. Ice in eskies doesn’t last long in the tropical heat, and being in a very remote area there’s no corner shop to pop to if you forget something!

We spent half a day travelling to Karunjie Station - the trip taking a bit longer than expected due to the number of big washouts on the road. Thankfully, our hire vehicle was up to the task and we made it with there without getting a flat tyre. Then it was time to get to the “business” of the trip - fire management.

Part two | Part three

Get in quick before midnight 27/06/09.

GO SHANE!

http://runmelbourne.everydayhero.com.au/shane_wakelin_WWF

Virtually all the visitors to our stall signed our campaign letter to end land clearing and expand the system of national parks in Queensland. We now have over 250 letters to send to Premier Bligh.

Read more to see photos from the event

The star of the event was the threatened Bilby. Claire Madden, Martin Taylor and Nick Heath from WWF and Frank Manthey from Save the Bilby Fund engaged the audience with their facts about species and habitat loss in QLD (and the kids in the audience were bubbling with excitement at the opportunity to actually meet a Bilby).

Thanks,
Sam

One way to celebrate World Environment Day and endorse the theme is to participate in Greenfest from June 5 to 7 in Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens.

WWF will hold a stall at Greenfest where you can come and see a Bilby and WWF Ambassador Claire Madden.

Imagine never seeing a bilby again in the wild, or a northern hairy nosed wombat, or the bridled nailtail wallaby.

That’s what we’re faced with if we don’t do more to protect their natural habitats and the best way to do that is through our National Parks.

As people around the world prepare to mark World Environment Day, WWF-Australia is calling on the Queensland Government to do more to expand the state’s National Parks or risk the extinction of some of our most unique wildlife.

“It’s no accident some of our most endangered and iconic marsupials – the northern bettong, the bridled nailtail wallaby, the northern hairy nosed wombat and the bilby - only survive in Queensland in National Parks,” said Dr Martin Taylor, WWF-Australia’s Policy Manager for Protected Areas.

“Some of these parks were created specifically to save the last remaining populations. Recovery of these endangered species is crucially dependent on expanding the area of protected habitat.

“With less than five per cent of the state designated as National Park, Queensland has the lowest proportion of its land mass protected out of all the states and territories.

“The Bligh Government promised in March 2008 to expand National Parks by 50 per cent by 2020.
If we don’t do something about saving habitats now, many native animals and plants will be lost forever.”

WWF’s message reflects the urgency of the need for nations and communities to agree on a new deal at the crucial UN climate convention in Copenhagen in December.

That message will be endorsed by those participating in this year’s Greenfest from June 5 to 7 in Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens, which marks World Environment Day in Queensland.

WWF will hold a stall at Greenfest alongside the Save the Bilby Fund and will also speak at the event alongside WWF Ambassador Claire Madden, of Big Brother fame.