Protecting Wilderness & National Parks

Colong Supporters Night Thursday 22 March, 2018

Nature Conservation Council of NSW Meeting Rooms

Level 14, 338 Pitt St, Sydney 5.30-7.30 pm

In this era of environmental crises it’s essential to find new ways to communicate about the importance of wilderness protection. Join Colong Foundation Directors Sierra Classen, Alex Allchin and Wild Rivers Campaigner Harry Burkitt to unwrap current campaigns to protect wilderness and national parks. Be inspired; help reroute the future for Australia's precious wild places; enjoy a night of wine, juice and pizzas!

The pristine wild rivers of the southern Blue Mountains are un-der threat from a proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam by 14 metres. These World Heritage listed rivers are home to hun-dreds of Australian iconic plants and animal species. The south-ern Blue Mountains and its wild rivers were the birthplace of the Colong Foundation in 1968.

Wilderness Campaigns

The 39,000 hectare Gardens of Stone conservation proposal con-tains the most spectacular pagoda landscapes in Australia together with high cliffs, gorges, waterfalls, nationally listed swamps and many threatened plants and ani-mals in a forest corridor north of Lithgow that links key parts of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. It is the last unprotected part of Myles Dunphy’s 1934 Greater Blue Mountains Park vision.

Gardens of Stone Save Wild Rivers

Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs), signed twenty years ago, must end. These RFA agreements must be discontinued. The RFAs remove forestry operations from en-vironmental impact assessment and public review under state and federal laws, and offer little protection to threatened species, streams and catchments. They will weaken environmental protections for our forests.

Protect our Forests

Join Colong Foundation for Wilderness www.colongwilderness.org.au

Colong Supporters Night Welcome By Sierra Classen, Director, Colong Foundation for Wilderness

Why is the Colong Foundation so Important By Keith Muir, Director, Colong Foundation for Wilderness

Unwrap Current Campaigns—Panel Discussion By Sierra Classen and Alex Allchin, Directors, Colong Foundation and Wild Rivers Campaigner Harry Burkitt

Campaign Activities:

NSW wild places bucket list

Compile a list of wonderful wilderness places and activities around NSW. Materials: Butcher’s paper; markers; sticky stuff to stick paper to the wall; maps and books to inspire; laptop for red index access.

Photo Booth Take a picture of themselves with campaign slogans to post to social media. Can we get a cool backdrop or a program that can easily chop the person out and chuck them into a wild landscape for tacky effect? Materials: backdrop and/or photo-editing application; camera or just smart phones; chalkboard/whiteboard; props; logo print outs?; #hashtag?; wifi

Design a Political Postcard

Design a postcard to a relevant politician – design an image/collage plus a punchy message relevant to wilderness protection. Materials: bulk-buy greeting cards to use for backing; art materials; butcher’s paper for group drafting; projector for message joint construction; laptop for typing; list of politicians and their mailing addresses; list of campaigns and key points.

Upcoming Colong Foundation Events

Next Colong Supporters Night

Thursday 19th April, 2018, 5.30-7.30 pm