Tim AshelfordHave you seen takayna yet? Patagonia’s recent film is part of a major push to protect Tasmania’s threatened Tarkine rainforest from logging, mining and drilling. It’s a must-see for anyone who loves Australia’s wild places.
World Heritage Protection for takayna / Tarkine
Sign The Petition
Photo by Mikey Schaefer
What’s Happening In The Tarkine?
takayna or “The Tarkine”, is a large wilderness area in the North-West of Tasmania that’s pretty damn special:
- It’s home to 60 threatened and endangered species
- It features large, undisturbed patches of temperate rainforeset that date back 60 million years
- The concentration of Aboriginal archaeology is among the highest in the southern hemisphere
So… it’s a national park right?
Actually, only a fraction of takayna / Tarkine is protected from harmful practices like open cut mining and clear-fell logging (which is branded as “sustainable” as trees are replanted). Watch the film and you’ll see that it’s anything but:
After a forest is clear-felled, two things happen to the scars left behind. In drier eucalyptus forests, sections of trees are cut and harvested in a pattern designed to mimic the way a forest would naturally regenerate. In wet eucalyptus forests, which have thicker understories, the entire ecosystem is felled, then bombed with napalm, burned and replanted with species that germinate quickly after a fire.
Meaghen Brown – Dispatches from the Edge of the World
What’s Patagonia Doing About It?
Patagonia is a sustainable outdoor clothing brand well-known for going in hard on environmental issues. They aren’t just doing this as part of an Australian marketing plan, head to their US website and even now takayna dominates their homepage.
So what are they doing? Patagonia has partnered with the Bob Brown Foundation to fight for World Heritage protection of takayna / Tarkine through a global petition, raising awareness of the cultural and environmental importance of the region and motivating people like us to get active.
Photo by K. Wright
takayna – What If Running Could Save A Rainforest?
Patagonia is raising awareness through their 37-minute film, takayna. The film talks to activists (such as a trail-running doctor), members of the local Aboriginal community and even members of the timber industry as it tells the story of the region, and unreservedly calls for its protection.
Their film has been seen over 60,000 times and 62,796 people have signed the petition. Go figure. We reckon you need to watch it.
Feature photo by Mikey Schaefer
Be inspired by takayna / Tarkine:
The Beauty Of The Tarkine Drive
Coming Home. To The Wilderness
12 Things To Do On Tassie’s West Coast