Day 14

“Nearly 2m hectares of #forests suitable for endangered koalas have been destroyed since the iconic species was declared a #ThreatenedSpecies in 2011, according to analysis for Guardian Australia.

The scale of #habitat #destruction in #Queensland and #NewSouthWales – states in which the koala is formally recognised as being at risk of #extinction – has continued despite political promises it would be protected.

Analysis by the #AustralianConservationFoundation using state and federal government #data found 1,964,200 hectares of #koala habitat were cleared between 2012 and 2021, the latest year for which there was complete data.

The total amount of destroyed forest and bush covered an area larger than greater Sydney, taking in the #BlueMountains, the #Illawarra, the southern highlands and the #Goulburn and #Shoalhaven regions.

It is more than 10 times larger than the area the #NSW government is assessing for a possible “great koala national park”. But most of the cleared area – 81% – was in Queensland.

About three-quarters of the lost forest is estimated to have been cleared for agriculture, to create #cattle pasture and #crop fields. The analysis found 13% was removed by the #forestry industry and 5% for development of infrastructure, including #mining. Just 4% was likely due to natural causes, such as bushfire and drought.”

There’s a reason the Minister for the Environment has been kept quiet.

#Auspol / #Labor / #Straya / #ClimateExtinction <https://theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/12/koala-habitat-destroyed-since-2011-analysis>

And surprise orchids! Super late and kinda high altitude bonnet orchid as well as my first midge (background removed in an attempt to get a better ID but I have zero idea lol)