Let's Make it Happen!The cinematic release of a powerful new short film 'Make It Happen' celebrates the value of Great Forest National Park to Victoria
● Globally renowned cinematographer Toby Phillips backs Great Forest National Park ● New film conveys epic landscapes, towering forests, and recreation adventures ● Australian musician John Butler, and sponsorship from Canon and Panasonic, bring film to life ● New polling shows 70% of Victorians want the Great Forest National Park Please share as far and wide as you can.... WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Sovereigns of the First Nations
The traditional custodians of this country include the Bunurong (Boon Wurrung), Gunaikurnai, Taungurung (Daung warring) and Wurrundjeri indigenous Australians.
We acknowledge this land belongs to the sovereign people of the First Nations. This land was stolen from them their sovereignty was never ceded - the park concept is subject to ongoing discussions with them and fully supports and recognises all their cultural rights, control and access Thank you Icebreaker NZ
Winners of the Icebreaker Great Exposure Contest. Prizes on the way and thank you to all the incredible photo's received for this contest. There were several hundred submissions and while we can only award 6, many will appear in the upcoming book on the park.
Thank you Loving Earth
Whole food company Loving Earth have celebrated the Great Forest National Park in their super successful Boobook Eggs. The caramel chocolate eggs sold out in record timing and now the company are working on their next support for the GFNP. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
GFNP classroom from Great Forest on Vimeo. 'We are always so chuffed after school trips into the forests as we get to see real excitement and connection in the personalities of all the kids. Even the teachers come away feeling like its been a great day in natures classroom. If you would like a tour or a talk, email us click here
Regional Jobs Boon If Park Created - REPORT
Great Forest National Park an economic boon
• Proposed national park could attract extra 400,000 visitors annually • Add more than $70 million to local economy annually • Create 750 full-time jobs Victoria’s proposed Great Forest National Park could draw almost 380,000 extra visitors a year to the Central Highlands, add $71 million annually to the local economy and generate 750 jobs with a little private investment, according to a new report by the Nous Group. Report can be found here NOUS GFNP report A Brief - NOUS GFNP brief We must Act To Protect our Forests
The Great Forests National Park proposal is a vision for a multi-tiered parks system for bush users and bush lovers alike. It is a Parks system that protects and maintains important ecosystem functions critical for our way of life. See the Park Plan.
Less than 90 minutes drive east of Melbourne, the Mountain Ash forests of the Central Highlands are the key source of the city's drinking water and the home of the tallest flowering trees in the world. A park proposed for the region has Melbourne buzzing with new investment ideas in tourism, boosting regional jobs while conserving an incredible landscape and its wildlife. The signature tree of the proposed Great Forest National Park is the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans). The tallest plant ever measured, at over 140 metres, was “The Ferguson Tree”, found near Healesville in 1872. Ash forests provide habitat for a range of wildlife, threatened by decades of fire and logging. At least 40 of these animals need tree hollows to live and breed in. It takes around 200 years to create such habitat trees. The critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum, the faunal emblem of Victoria, occurs nowhere else. A history of landscape-scale logging and fire has meant old trees are being lost and not replaced, becoming ever more scarce. Only 1% unburnt and unlogged Mountain Ash forest now remains. The Mountain Ash ecosystem of the Victorian Central Highlands has been scientifically assessed ‘critically endangered’ under IUCN criteria. This underlines the need for a new park to protect and restore these forests. The geological centre-piece of the proposed Great Forest National Park is an ancient 30 kilometre wide volcano, the Cerberean Caldera. Its eroded rim is marked by waterfalls and rugged ranges that define the skyline, creating some of the region’s most dramatically picturesque outlooks. The Cathedral Range between Marysville and Alexandra is one of the grandest examples of these sheer jagged outcrops. Mt Torbreck’s waterfalls, in the north east of the cauldron, are little-known hidden gems. Further east the austere rocky peaks gently give way to Alpine heathland and snow gum forests of the Australian Alps. The Park, stretching from Kinglake through to the Baw Baws and north-east up to Eildon, will host a range of activities such as bike riding, bushwalking, fishing, bird watching, four-wheel driving, motor biking, camping, zipline tours and much more. The Great Forest National Park, so close to Melbourne, will be a great community asset; a playground for the people - the perfect place for city folk wanting to escape the daily grind. It will generate new, long-term jobs while protecting threatened species, ecosystems, carbon storage, and water supplies. It will revitalise peri-urban and rural communities, some still recovering from the Black Saturday fires in 2009. The time is right to create a new Great Forest National Park. The time is now! 
Realising the value of accounting for the forests of the Victorian Central Highlands, AustraliaThe World Bank publishes the economic benefits to declaring a Great Forest National Park for Victoria - read more
Athlete Jeff SHAPiro Experiences The GFNPGreat Forest National Park - Summary ReportClick the link to download the Great Forest National Park Summary Report
The Great Forest National Park will provide an opportunity for people to experience this unique natural area through walking, camping, touring, four wheel driving, mountain biking, guided trips, skiing, multi-day hiking, canoeing, cycling, bed and breakfasts, day tripping or experiencing the cultural heritage of the region’s Traditional Owners. It will attract local and international visitors alike.
The proposed Park will value the region for its critical role in supplying 4 million people with some of the highest quality drinking water in the world, sustaining the most carbon dense forests and protecting critically endangered and rare wildlife. The Park will enable the state of Victoria to match its counterparts in other states in recognising, valuing andcelebrating Australia’s globally significant biodiversity and cultural heritage. The proposed parks system features the signature tall trees of the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans Muell.) forest, which support a diverse array of wildlife, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth. The Park features a diverse assemblage of plants and forest types, ranging from rainforests to alpine woodlands and herb-rich foothill forests. The Great Forest National Park will recognise and protect the outstanding natural and cultural values of the unique forests covering the Central Highlands of Victoria. Join the WildMob Summer Survey Crew
This summer how about some adventure?
The WildMob and the Australian National University are seeking a group of keen surveyors to help Professor David Lindenmayer and his team locate the elusive and critically endangered Leadbeater's Possum in the wild. In the extraordinarily beautiful Mountain Ash forests, you will lie beneath a giant tree and watch for its inhabitants to emerge at dusk. It is a deeply rewarding experience that will bring you closer to nature, and the nature of the giant forests. Get in touch with Derek and the WildMob now to be part of this life affirming experience. Click here http://wildmob.org/contact/ Sounds of a wild night in the forest
The sun is setting, slowly dipping the forest into darkness. Its weakening grasp on the day releases the cold air from its grip on the ground. Around you, the forest is singing a song about the passage of time, if only you know how to listen.
David Lindenmayer, from the Australian National University, is an ecologist and conservation biologist who has spent over 30 years studying the Mountain Ash Forest of Victoria. ‘There’s a little mixture of things that always want to have the last word. The Lyrebird is one and the Kookaburra is another and the Eastern Yellow Robin and the Pilot Bird are two others,’ he says. ‘The birds are calling less than in the morning, but still nevertheless calling, and they’re just confirming their territories before there's an extraordinary change in the light in this long dusk period,’ says Lindenmayer. Then the possums and gliders come out. Then the nocturnal birds start their calls. Listen closely to hear the sounds of the evening shift change in the Mountain Ash Forests of Victoria in this episode of Off Track. the sounds of a tall forestMediaAs Victoria weighs forestry's future, report says national park could be jobs boon
Adam Morton - Josh Gordon - The Age Zoos Chief Calls For National Park
Tom Arup - The Age Minister flags new national park within this term to save the possum
Farrah Tomazin - The Age David Attenborough and Jane Goodall join the fight to create a new national park in Victoria
Ollie Milman - The Guardian Victorian state emblem Leadbeater's possum pushed closer to extinction
Tom Arup - The Age Sir David Attenborough pleads for national park to save Leadbeater’s possum
James Campbell - HERALD SUN The battle to save the Leadbeater’s possum from logging
Michelle Slater - The Saturday Paper 
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Forest Tours
I support
The maintenance of an intact ecological system is the only way to ensure the continued existence of biodiversity, safeguard water supplies and provide spiritual nourishment for ourselves and future generations. It is for these reasons, and for the survival of the critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum, that's why I support the creation of the Great Forest National Park for Victoria. Sir David Attenborough Donate to make it Great
Donate to make it great! Click here to make either a tax deductible, or non-tax deductible, donation to keep this initiative growing. If you would like a Prospectus on the business model for the park, email Sarah Rees directly here - Thank you.
Over thousands of years, nature has provided the resources that have helped us to survive and flourish. Now, in a time of need, we must help nature to survive. The Great Forest National Park is a project to secure the future of a threatened ecosystem. If we act now, we will be ensuring the forest can continue to provide services that support us- clean water, fresh air and storage of carbon. If we fail now, what future will we have chosen for our grandchildren and their grandchildren? Please join me in supporting the creation of the Great Forest National Park. Follow GFNP NewsCanon judges 'Highly ComMended'
Canon Australia has recognised The Great Forest National Park initiative in it's annual environmental grant program, commending the project and its team, "our judges really loved your project and what your organisation stands for". And awarded a prize for our work. Well done everyone who is helping to make the #GFNP a reality - this goes to you!
Congratulations on being Highly Commended by our judging panel. Business Supporters
At CJ Arms, we leverage our expertise in hydraulic, fire & civil engineering, and landscape architecture, along with our holistic approach to water and wastewater management to redefine spaces and deliver industry-leading environmental and water sustainability solutions.
The Providore at Meletos stocks regional produce, house baked sourdough, curated homewares and fresh flowers.
Legendary Gin makers - Four Pillars Gin Distillery - Healesville. Yarra Valley
Best bar in the Yarra Valley joins The Great Forest National Park program - The Herd Bar & Grill
Looking for the most relaxing forest spa in the Yarra Valley? Enjoy here
A vibrant office and meeting hub for community business in the heart of the Yarra Valley - new supporters of the Great Forest National Park. Habitat 1
I support
Isabel Lucas, Australian actress, model, environmentalist and Supporter of The Great Forest National Park
Sharni Layton, Collingwood Magpies and Australian Diamonds Netball Player, Commonwealth Games & World Netball Championship Gold Medalist & Supporter of the Great Forest National Park
New GFNP Supporters
Join the movement to create the Great Forest National Park - here
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Download the badge to display your support for Victoria's newest park. 
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