Bruny Island Forest photos before and after logging

Forestry Tasmania's current clearfall operation in a 15ha coupe adjacent to the northern boundary of Mavista Nature Reserve at Adventure Bay on Bruny, which means that they will be logging only 100m from the creek-line that winds through this narrow strip reserve.

Many Bird Watching groups through out Australia and and the world will know this area as probably the most reliable to find the endemic Scrubtit on Bruny Island (and one of the best there is in Tas), and this internationally-known reserve appears frequently in itineraries and trip reports from birders around the world.

This area is also home to several other species, including several pairs of Pink robins (who nest there every year), Olive whistler, Tas scrubwren and Tas thornbill, Bassian thrush to name a few. For months now many people from Bruny Island have been trying to point out our concerns to them regarding the potential negative impacts on the reserve and stream which may affect the integrity of the reserve and therefore the bird-life within.

The only other reliable place for Scrubtit on Bruny Island (which is actually not nearly as good as Mavista Reserve) is located on top of Mount Mangana, which is accessed by a Forestry road and which is now also inaccessible to larger vehicles due to safety concerns. So this basically leaves Mavista as the only area that can be accessedespecially by larger groups in a bus (say more than about 6 people).

This operation has already started impacting on tourism businesses, as harvesting of the trees along the new roadway into the coupe, and "upgrading" the road into the reserve for use by log trucks has already begun. In the opionion of some, this activity has made it dangerous to access with clients. In addition, it is not a good look to take them to an area where chainsaws are buzzing and large machinery, including gravel and log trucks are operating (and usingthe same road) while trying to find Scrubtit in a formal reserve next door.

This operation, which is comprised of another coupe nearby, as well as the Mavista Reserve coupe, is expected to run over the next 6 months or so, so will still be in full swing by the time that birding tours start again in earnest here on Bruny. What will the state of the reserve and the road that leads into it will be like by then?

	Forestry Tasmania's current clearfall operation in a 15ha coupe adjacent to the northern boundary of Mavista Nature Reserve at Adventure Bay on Bruny, which means that they will be logging only 100m from the creek-line that winds through this narrow strip reserve. Many Bird Watching groups through out Australia and and the world will know this area as probably the most reliable to find the endemic Scrubtit on Bruny Island (and one of the best there is in Tas), and this internationally-known reserve appears frequently in itineraries and trip reports from birders around the world. This area is also home to several other species, including several pairs of Pink robins (who nest there every year), Olive whistler, Tas scrubwren and Tas thornbill, Bassian thrush to name a few. For months now many people from Bruny Island have been trying to point out our concerns to them regarding the potential negative impacts on the reserve and stream which may affect the integrity of the reserve and therefore the bird-life within. The only other reliable place for Scrubtit on Bruny Island (which is actually not nearly as good as Mavista Reserve) is located on top of Mount Mangana, which is accessed by a Forestry road and which is now also inaccessible to larger vehicles due to safety concerns. So this basically leaves Mavista as the only area that can be accessedespecially by larger groups in a bus (say more than about 6 people). This operation has already started impacting on tourism businesses, as harvesting of the trees along the new roadway into the coupe, and "upgrading" the road into the reserve for use by log trucks has already begun. In the opionion of some, this activity has made it dangerous to access with clients. In addition, it is not a good look to take them to an area where chainsaws are buzzing and large machinery, including gravel and log trucks are operating (and usingthe same road) while trying to find Scrubtit in a formal reserve next door. This operation, which is comprised of another coupe nearby, as well as the Mavista Reserve coupe, is expected to run over the next 6 months or so, so will still be in full swing by the time that birding tours start again in earnest here on Bruny. What will the state of the reserve and the road that leads into it will be like by then?