Key Facts:
· Citizen science events at 20 + locations across Australia's High Country to take place this August. Popular locations include Mt Hotham (for the Australian Backcountry Festival August 29 & 30), Mt Buller and Thredbo.
· Snow Gum woodlands face ecological collapse, despite their importance as the defining vegetation of the Australian High Country.
· The loss of the snow gums will be as significant as the loss of the Great Barrier Reef. Yet no governments are responding to the collapse.
· Listing Snow Gum species under federal environment laws via the EPBC Act would enable national coordination and boost research and funding to save Snow Gums.
MEDIA RELEASE: 3 AUGUST 2026
This August, hundreds of community members across Victoria, NSW and the ACT will hike, snow shoe and ski to save Snow Gums: the iconic tree of the Australian Alps.
Friends of the Earth is coordinating citizen science events to map the health status of Snow Gum woodlands at 20 + snowsport locations, including Mt Buller, Thredbo Ski Resort and Mt Hotham.
"The enthusiasm of hundreds of participants demonstrates the deep cultural value that Snow Gums hold for many Australians," said Anna Langford, spokesperson for Friends of the Earth.
The citizen science events are part of Friends of the Earth's campaign to have Snow Gum species listed as threatened under federal environment law.
Snow Gums face ecosystem collapse within decades due to the climate change-fuelled threats of drought, beetle-induced dieback and intensifying bushfires.
"Snow Gums are the iconic trees that make Australia's High Country globally unique, and we could lose them within our lifetime. It's time for the federal government to commit to protecting Snow Gums for their irreplaceable role in sustaining tourism and biodiversity in the Australian Alps" said Langford.
"The federal government must develop a robust recovery plan to give Snow Gum woodlands a fighting chance at survival into the future."
Friends of the Earth said a listing under Australia's federal EPBC Act would enable national coordination to halt the widespread problem of Snow Gum dieback and boost funding for research.
In 2025 and 2026, Friends of the Earth hosted two Snow Gum Summits which convened scientists, land managers, First Nations people, resort workers, firefighters and community groups who are working to combat the impacts of beetle dieback and bushfires on Snow Gum populations.
The public can join events throughout August at locations including Mt Baw Baw, Mt Feathertop, the Bogong High Plains, Falls Creek, Mt Stirling, Lake Mountain, Mt Torbrek, Mt Macedon, and at Mt Hotham during the Australian Backcountry Festival, on August 29 & 30.
For additional comment: Anna Langford - 0478 031 771 -
