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What would you do to save the tallest trees?

12 November 2003

Greenpeace and The Wilderness Society peaceful protesters successfully stop clearcutting operations with tree-sits rigged up to logging machinery.

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Tasmania, Australia — In Tasmania, Australia, they have these trees, that are... tall. OK, a lot of trees are tall, but these are the tallest hardwood trees in the world. We're talking trees taller than a 25-story building and 400 years old. Some people look at trees like this and they just think, "wow". Other people, they look at these trees and they think, "Wow, I could cut that down, chop it up, feed it through a wood chipper, and sell it to these companies in Japan!" And that is just what they are going to do, unless we can stop them. Click here to find out how.

Latest: Success as loggers fail to show up for work after peaceful occupation of the logging machinery.

In fact, clearcutting is already going on at an alarming rate in the Styx valley (that's the aptly named place where these trees are), and is fast approaching the area Greenpeace and The Wilderness Society are protecting. So activists have constructed a unique, high-tech Global Rescue Station in the form of a 'tree sit' at the top of one of the Styx forest's tallest trees. At a height of 65 meters (213 feet) it is the tallest tree sit in the world.

In a tree sit, forest activists put their lives on the line by occupying trees - too high up to be easily removed. Up to eight peaceful activists who will occupy the Global Rescue Station, to protect these magnificent trees. Activists from Australia, Japan, Canada and Germany are taking part.

More information

Read their live updates from the trees.

Take Action

Contact the Japanese woodchip buying companies.

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