Dear NRPG Members and interested,

For your information.

Kind regards,
Steve Gates

President, NRPG Bushcarers

Dear CCWA Members,

Please see below for information about our upcoming Environment Matters forum to discuss the threats facing one of WA’s most iconic outback trees: native sandalwood.  Join us and hear from Traditional Owners, scientists, sandalwood industry leaders and conservationists as we explore what a positive future for our endangered sandalwood could look like.

WHEN
Wednesday 2 November, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

VENUE
State Library Theatre, 25 Francis St, Perth, WA

REGISTRATION
https://www.ccwa.org.au/environment_matters_native_sandalwood

We hope to see you there.

Kind regards,

Sara and the CCWA team

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Kaya Friend,We are delighted to invite you to our next Environment Matters forum to discuss the threats facing one of WA’s most iconic outback trees: native sandalwood. Join us and hear from Traditional Owners, scientists, sandalwood industry leaders and conservationists as we explore what a positive future for our beautiful endangered sandalwood could look like.WHEN Wednesday 2 November 5:30pm – 7:30pmWHERE State Library Theatre 25 Francis St, Perth, WA I’ll be there! We will be hearing from Traditional Owners, scientists, sandalwood industry leaders and conservationists:Peter Robertson (Save Our Sandalwood network): Ignoring the evidence: Turning around years of government policy failureRichard McLellan (Research ecologist, Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University): The latest science on sandalwood conservation status in the wildKeith Drage (Managing Director, WA Sandalwood Plantations): The scale and opportunity of plantation-grown native sandalwood in WA’s wheatbeltClinton Farmer/Ron Mulder: Kutkabbuba Aboriginal Corporation harvest and management plan and the resource assessmentAshley Bell (Badimia Elder): Sandalwood as a cultural asset on Badimia Yamatji lands.Under current WA government policies this iconic species is heading towards extinction in the wild. For 180 years, over-harvesting of wild stocks of WA sandalwood (willarak; dutjahn; waladar; Santalum spicatum) has led to significant depletion of the species. For this reason, it was recently placed on the IUCN global ‘Red List’ as a threatened species and nominated for threatened species listing under the WA Biodiversity Conservation Act. However, the WA government currently harvests old-growth sandalwood trees almost exclusively from the wild. Sandalwood is one of the most valuable timbers traded in Australia, making it “wooden gold” for the WA government’s Forest Products Commission.Ecologically, dutjahn is a keystone species in the arid outback, often flowering and fruiting when other plants are not, making it immensely important both ecologically and culturally. Aboriginal Australians have used dutjahn sustainably as a source of food and medicine for thousands of years. Through innovative programs Traditional Owners would like to run sustainable wild harvest and restoration enterprises that aim to protect and restore surviving populations. “Under Aboriginal custodianship, sandalwood thrived for thousands of years prior to European colonisation and exploitation of the tree population by non-Aboriginal interests. Traditional Owners and native title holders argue that custodianship, development and management of wild sandalwood trees must be ceded to First Nations people for whom these trees are growing wild on their traditional lands.” Kado Muir – Traditional Owner and native title holder with interests in sustainable sandalwood business.This is a COVID-Safe event following the latest health advice.Register now This is a free, in-person event, and a light supper will be provided. RSVP now as spots are limited! Hope to see you there, Sara and the CCWA team         The Conservation Council of WA is an independent, not-for-profit organisation – we are apolitical and are supported by voluntary donations. If you would like to contribute to help fund CCWA’s work, please donate now! You can unsubscribe or update your email preferences at any time. You are receiving this email because you took action online or at an event. Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Noongar people. We pay respect to their Elders – past, present, and future – and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play in advancing a more sustainable Western Australia.