Why do you want to protect the Snowy Mountains?
The Snowy Mountains are one of Australia’s most unique and dearly loved environments. The flora and fauna is unique and precious, and the entire region is one of Australia’s favourite playgrounds, whether sparkling in the sun or blanketed in snow.
But, as the largest alpine region on this sunburnt country, and with an increasingly warming planet, the Snowy Mountains are going to have a hard time remaining snowy into the future. And the effects of climate change are already being felt.
Just last summer, much of the Snowy Mountains was badly damaged by bushfire, species were pushed to the brink, and a lot of forest is facing a difficult revival.
In the past, much of the Snowy Mountains region was cleared for grazing, leaving massive gaps between safe habitats.
Planting trees will help restore natural corridors between these habitats, protecting the local wildlife. But it’ll also help draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, playing a small part in the global challenge of climate change.
Rewild the Snowies Frequently Asked Questions
What tree species are you planting?
We’ll be planting 100% native species, all of local provenance that already exist in the area that will add to the local ecology, rather than create a new ecology.
This means planting a mix of hardwood trees like eucalypts, and then a middle understory of various species, like wattles and grevilleas.
What is the process going to be – from raising the funds, to having a thriving native forest in the Snowies?
The Chuffed crowdfunding campaign will run for 30 days, in which time We Are Explorers and Keep It Cool will be spreading the word to try and reach our $30,000 goal. Once we have the money in the bag, the team at Keep It Cool begin the process of finding private land to plant the trees on. The trees are purchased from a local nursery in Bombala as well as the fertiliser tabs and tree guards that help protect the tree.
In spring 2021, the We Are Explorers team, plus all donors who are eligible for an invite, will spend a day planting the 6,000 trees in the Snowies. From that point on, the land holder, as well as the Keep It Cool team, will pay regular visits to the plantation and meticulously care for the trees as they grow into a happy forest.
What happens if the crowdfunding target is exceeded?
Every $5 donation means one tree will be planted, so for every $5 we raise over $30,000, another tree will be placed in the ground.
What happens if you don’t reach your fundraising target?
If we don’t end up meeting our target, we’ll plant as many trees as we are able to with the funds we’ve raised.
How did you get the perks?
We’re incredibly fortunate to work with brands that jump at the idea of helping out a good cause. We approached Le Bent, Zorali, Capital Brewing and Thredbo, asking if they’d be willing to donate gifts as an incentive for people to up the price of their donation. They were stoked to lend us a hand!
We also got in touch with local artist, Leah Foster, and commissioned her to custom-design a Rewild the Snowies logo and T-shirt. And she did a bloody bang-up job!
When will I receive my perk?
If you clicked on a perk when you donated that means you’re entitled to a sweet little gift to say thanks for being such a legend!
Once the campaign comes to an end on December 16 2020, we’ll contact everyone who’s entitled to receive a perk, grab your shipping info and your shoe or t-shirt size if necessary!
So hold tight until after the campaign has run its course. We’ll be in touch once it’s all wrapped up.
I donated but didn’t click a perk, do I get anything?
Although our mates at Le Bent, Zorali, Capital Brewing and Thredbo are generous, we don’t have an unlimited supply of gifts. If you didn’t click on a perk when you donated, unfortunately you’re not entitled to a gift, however this does mean your donation is tax deductible.
Is all of my donation going towards the purchase and planting of trees, or are there also admin costs that my donation is covering?
When it comes to creating change on a large-scale like this, there are nearly always admin costs. But we wouldn’t be able to get the job done without it!
The breakdown of cash goes a little something like this:
$2 covers the cost of the plant and tube stock
$2 pays for ground preparation, fertiliser and plant guard
$1 is for admin costs to get the job done right
Who is working to raise these funds?
We Are Explorers is an award-winning B Corp and purpose-driven media brand. Our mission is to make the outdoors accessible for everyone whilst spreading the excitement and power of outdoor adventure. For We Are Explorers, the opportunity to plant 6,000 trees in one of Australia’s most unique and at-risk environments is a tangible way of protecting the wild places we love so much.
Keep It Cool is a Snowy Mountains environmental non-for-profit that runs purely on the stoke and passion of local Jindy legends. They plant trees around the Snowy Mountains to help draw down carbon from the atmosphere.
