Who are the ‘faces of the Florentine’?

We come from all over the world, including the Derwent Valley and the Central Highlands in Tasmania, and firmly believe that the Upper Florentine forests have far greater economic, environmental and social value to the local, Tasmanian and global community if left intact.

The campaign to raise awareness about the Upper Florentine has for years been fought on many levels.

We local folk have formed a loose network of our own and have contributed as much as we can to the ongoing campaign to protect the Upper Florentine Valley from the destructive forces of the logging industry.

In late 2008 we organised two very successful community information days in the Upper Florentine forest, inviting fellow local residents to come and see for themselves what makes this area so special.

Activities included bushwalks and talks about wilderness photography and the native birds and plants of the Florentine Valley.

We have tried hard to inform ourselves of the facts of Forestry Tasmania’s plans for this forest, including having met with representatives of Forestry Tasmania and the Tasmanian forest minister.

Our efforts have been fraught with difficulties, such as an ongoing struggle to obtain reliable information about which areas of the forest will be protected from logging.

We are outraged that the future economic, social and environmental potentials of these unique old growth forests are being squandered for pitiful short-term gains.

We only want what’s best for our community in the long term, and warmly invite all Tasmanians, and our friends from around the world, to get involved with saving the Upper Florentine Valley.

Contact us

facesoftheflorentine@gmail.com.

Website credits

This website would not have been possible without the generosity of photographer Alan Lesheim, who took all of the “Faces of the Florentine” photos. We’d also like to thank Rob Blakers for permission to use his incredible photo of the Florentine Valley.