By Dongyun Kwon
A tour to experience a local forest with the guidance of the Friends of the Leadbeater’s Possum group is coming up again on Saturday 25 November.
The tour of the Toolangi State Forest is for locals to see different areas in the forest firsthand.
Friends of the Leadbeater’s Possum president Steve Meacher, who is a guide for the tour, said the tour would be a great chance for locals to get to know about the effect of logging.
“It is organised by the Healesville and Upper Yarra branch of the Greens to fundraise for their election campaigns, we tend to do this every year. It’s a popular event that educates people about the importance of our forests and helps the branch to raise some funds for their campaign work,” he said.
The tour will start with an orientation and morning tea at Toolangi Castella Community House.
Attendees will drive out to the forest and stop at the various sites along the way.
Home-cooked lunch will be provided and the tour will finish around 4.30pm.
Tour guide Steve Meacher has lived in Toolangi for almost 20 years.
Mr Meacher said he came to Toolangi to participate in forest education.
“My background is in teaching, particularly environmental education. And I’ve had the good fortune to meet some of the preeminent experts on the Mountain Ash Forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria over the years, so I’ve learnt a lot from them. And my passion is to pass on that knowledge to other people,” he said.
His passion led him to found Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum to protect leadbeater’s possums and their habitats
“Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum is an entirely voluntary group. We’ve been campaigning for almost 20 years for the protection of leadbeater’s possums and their habitats,” Mr Meacher said.
“One of their major habitats is the Mountain Ash Forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria and they don’t live anywhere else outside Victoria.
“Some live in Toolangi, but they are nocturnal. So, on the forest tour, we won’t be seeing any leadbeater’s possums. But, we will be seeing some of their habitats and what makes the forest a good habitat for leadbeater’s possums and other animals.”
Although attendees won’t be able to see nocturnal animals, they will see many birds including crimson rosella, kookaburra, magpie, black cockatoo and lyrebird.
Anyone interested is encouraged to email Bob Rich at bob@bobswriting.com.
