Hepburn Shire Council’s Biodiversity Strategy is a step in the right direction but needs work in order to properly “protect, conserve and enhance the biodiversity within the shire, on both private and public land,” says ecologist and nature photographer Alison Pouliot.
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HER BACKGROUND
Alison Pouliot, a Hepburn local, ecologist and nature photographer has worked in the area for the past 20 years.
She has worked in the Wombat State Forest and its natural environment for most of that time.
Ms Pouliot divides her year between working in Europe, where she is based in Bern, Switzerland, and the other half of the year working in Hepburn Shire.
BIODIVERSITY IN HEPBURN SHIRE
Biodiversity encompasses all of the connections between different animals and plants, their function and how they influence each other.
Ms Pouliot says there is a lot of biodiversity in the shire, but this is possibly threatened by the shire’s development, as well as its natural tendency to grow and change.
“We are exceptionally lucky in the Hepburn Shire to be surrounded by forests and waterways rich in biodiversity.”
“It is an exceptional shire as it has so much natural bush. If you stand on Wombat Hill, or if you climb up Jackson’s Lookout, you can see bush in every direction. That’s a fabulous thing. There are not many country towns in Victoria that you can say that for,” she said.
DISINTEGRATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Throughout her 20 years of working almost daily in the forest, Ms Pouliot has seen environmental changes, which she puts down to development in the area, which she says has an inevitable impact on biodiversity, as well as changed fuel management strategies and the overarching issue of climate change.
Deterioration is also seen as a result of the impact of drought, the invasion of weeds and activities which take place in the forest such as four wheel driving and trail bike riding. She says all of these activities need to be taken into account in the strategy:
“Council should be commended for drafting the long overdue biodiversity strategy. Now it is critical to find the expertise and community input to ensure the final strategy prioritises the future survival and flourishing of biodiversity. This means supporting ecosystem processes and building resilience," she said.
THE STRATEGY
We need to protect, conserve and enhance the biodiversity within the shire, on both private and public land.
- Alison Pouliot
“We have forest, roadside reserves and conservation areas. The shire is exceptional in that it has so many natural values and biodiversity. The strategy needs to reflect the natural bush and biodiversity while offering the best opportunity to enhance and conserve it,” she said.
According to Ms Pouliot, biodiversity is more than just flora and fauna. It is flora, fauna and funghi. Funghi is often left out of the equation, she says, in fact, it’s not even mentioned in the strategy.
Ms Pouliot says the community consultation process is great as it allows people to share their feedback, while also starting a conversation around biodiversity within the community.
“We have such an amazing collection of people who have lived here for generations and have a very intimate knowledge of the landscape and the species that live here. We also have an influx of new people who bring all sorts of expertise. We have scientists, philosophers, people who use traditional methods of farming and permaculture.”
“We have so many wonderful expertise so the strategy needs to draw on that community knowledge as well as the scientific expertise,” she said.
USING IMAGES TO DOCUMENT ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES
Environmental images can document what already exists so that records can be created, but they are also a good tool for use in conservation campaigns.
Australia has a long history with the use of images, such as during the Tasmanian campaigns, specifically in the Franklin River campaign during the 1980s, when the Franklin and Gordon rivers were threatened by a hydroelectric development.
Images played a large role in sparking not only Tasmanian’s but also people from mainland Australia to call on the government to protect the river.
"Images of the natural world have been pivotal to documenting environmental issues since the 'environmental awakening' of the 1960s. They have served to open up new awareness and understanding of the natural world,” Ms Pouliot said.
She believes photography and images are a way to reach people who would not normally be interested in biodiversity:
“Images have a huge role in making people aware of what we’ve got and how precious it is,” she said.
“Often, an image can have more impact than words can. Sometimes a stunning bird or an interesting picture of a frog can have more impact than a description in words about the species.”
"Images can help relay the urgent nature of environmental issues and make them tangible to lay audiences,” Ms Pouliot said.
Ms Pouliot will be speaking at a seminar held by Wombat Forestcare in February. She will speak about biodiversity and how important it is in terms of influencing public understanding of nature.The seminar will also explore the role of photography in the conservation of biodiversity in Wombat Forest.
“Through a forest wilderness” will be held on February 24. Attendance costs $5. Email info@wombatforestcare.org.au to book. For more information, visit: www.alisonpouliot.com
