Nannas show up for ‘Big Spotty’ and promote the Forest March in March. We celebrate and support a 400km horse ride to raise awareness about the Narrabri Gas Project.
Forests
Forest Vigil
Nannas were outside NSW Parliament House on Wednesday 11 March with campaigners from the Bob Brown Foundation (BBF) promoting their March in March for Forests on Sunday 22 March. Nannas are sprucing up their animal costumes and knitting endangered species in preparation for a fun day in Hyde Park starting at 11am.
Forest Action at Marrickville Markets
Nannas organised a fun action at Marrickville Markets on Sunday 14 March. It’s a great market with a big green space at the back where families sit for either brunch or lunch – a great spot to speak up for the forests. We felt very welcome and found people ready to chat. Kids were right into our activities and their parents helped.
The world’s tallest and possibly oldest spotted gum tree Big Spotty was a big feature of our displays. She stands 72 metres tall in the North Brooman State Forest, not far from Ulladulla. We had a model of her, just waiting for people to add to her spots or a drawing after they wrote why they like trees.
We asked the kids to help us show just how big her circumference is by holding a knitted rope in a 13-metre circle.
Nanna MC Bernie explained that Big Spotty needs our help because logging in her forest is due to start in the next few months, placing her at risk even though she won’t be logged. She needs her forest because her survival depends on having other trees around her for protection from wind and storms, and to stabilise her roots.
Greater gliders are found in the forest around Big Spotty, and kids were very interested to hear about them, and how they need old trees with hollows if they are to survive.
Nanna Liz became a walking tree and attracted a lot of kids as she walked around the market. Her trunk had lots of hollows inhabited by endangered birds and animals.
People were very willing to sign the NCC petition to save Big Spotty’s forest from logging and ask the government to create the North Brooman Flora Reserve.
Heidi, from the BBF told everyone about the work of citizen scientists in our state forests, where they document the presence of endangered species, so that their trees and surrounding forest are protected from logging. She also encouraged everyone to come to the March in March for Forests next Sunday 22 March at 11am in Hyde Park.
Forestry illegal logging
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), a state government agency, took the Forestry Corporation of NSW, a state-owned corporation, to the Land and Environment Court over the illegal logging in Wild Cattle Creek State Forest, west of Coffs Harbour. The court ordered Forestry to pay $450,000 to the Yurruungga Aboriginal Corporation for restorative justice actions, instead of paying a fine. (NIT) (NEFA Media release)
Taxpayers continue to subsidise logging in NSW.
Ride the Gas Line
Nannas are following Sally Hunter and friends riding 400km along the route of the Hunter Gas Pipeline. After waiting to see if Santos would force entry by cutting the lock on a neighbour’s place, they set off.
One of the horses balked at the thick yellow line on the bridge crossing of the Namoi River, but quickly moved on. Santos plans to put a pipeline under the river here.
Follow their journey on Facebook – Ride The Gas Line and Instagram and have your say about the Narrabri Gas Project by signing Lock the Gate’s petition to Premier Chris Minns.
Meet them
Sunday 22 March – Breeza Hall from 10am – 4pm: music, food, produce displays, info stalls, and speakers. Riders depart at 3pm (RSVP).
Saturday 28 March – Millers Forest Muster celebrates the end of the ride at Popular Hall near Maitland from 4pm. Dinner and dance 6pm. (RSVP)
Landholders will not let Santos on their land to survey for the Hunter Gas Pipeline. They have seen the consequences of coal seam gas on the land in Queensland – less water, sinkholes and dried up bores. They are determined to stop this project. Four horses, 400 km, and a fight over a gas pipeline that will cross the state’s most fertile plains (Renew Economy)
Crafternoon
Nine Nannas and a neighbour enjoyed the craft afternoon at Nanna Elizabeth’s place on Saturday 24 March. A very casual event, with a lot of catching up over tea, coffee and tasty treats. In amongst discussion of some big life issues there was time for working on crafts, sharing ideas and getting advice. Nanna Elizabeth has lots of how-to books for beginners, patterns, yarns and bits and pieces that might be useful someday!
Nanna Luce played the piano in the background. Nanna Bron drew pictures of an eastern grey kangaroo, spotted-tailed quoll and greater glider, ready to be printed for a children’s colouring in activity at the Big Spotty event at Marrickville Market the next day. Nanna Cathy makes lovely pottery and one of her beautiful bowls was used for the afternoon tea set out.
International Women’s Day
The UN International Women’s Day (IWD) theme was ‘Balance the Scales’ highlighting the urgent need to ensure fair, inclusive, and accessible justice for every woman and girl.
Care and Activism
Iselin Amundsen from Norway spent five months in Australia in 2024 shadowing and interviewing Nannas for her Master’s in Social Anthropology. When she arrived, we wondered how to keep her busy, but there was so much going on it was never a problem. Iselin has completed her thesis Care and activism: A study on the use of care in the Knitting Nannas. See Norwegian Research Information Repository
Earthshoot Day
Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity has exhausted nature’s budget for the year. For the rest of the year, we are maintaining our ecological deficit by drawing down future local resource stocks and accumulating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Earth Overshoot Day fell on 1 August in 2024 and 24 July in 2025.
If everyone on Earth consumed the same amount as the residents of a particular country in a year it is called the Country’s Overshoot Day: Qatar is 4 February, USA 14 March, Australia 16 March and Honduras 27 November.
Nannas are watching
Switzerland’s Crumbling Giants: The alpine towns under threat from climate change (ABC Foreign Correspondent)
Nannas are reading
Mardi Gras marchers brutally assaulted by NSW Police (MichaelWestMedia)
Breakneck Speed: Summer of climate whiplash (Climate Council)
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