Snow gums are the iconic vegetation species of the Australian High country.

They are beautiful, vital for biodiversity and tourism, help hold snow pack which is released into river catchments, and hold deep cultural value for many people.

However, we are now seeing the beginning of ecosystem collapse across these forests – drought, dieback and successive fires have altered the structure, composition, and condition of snow gum woodlands dramatically.

During August 2026 resort and mountain loving communities are invited to join Friends of the Earth for a couple of hours of citizen science to better understand the health of local snow gum forests.

Alpine Resorts Victoria (ARV) is inviting the Mt Buller community to join in on one of these surveys, which will happen at Mt Buller Alpine Resort on Saturday August 29th.

These surveys will be happening as part of a process to gather data about the health of snow gum forests and will be used to assist in gaining threatened species listing under federal environmental laws. You can read more here.

The logistics:

• we will meet at 10am sharp in the reception of Alpine Central (Post Office), Mt Buller village.
• proposed survey areas will be across the Mt Buller village and its perimeter.
• depending on the weather conditions we will aim to stay in the survey area until 12.30pm, giving roughly 2.5 hours worth of surveys.
• we will then return to Alpine Central to conclude.

What to expect

·        You don't need any survey experience, just a willingness to walk through snow gum forest, assessing the trees for their health. We will provide a briefing once we are on site to explain how to assess and record the data. Expect to have a fun day outdoors in a gorgeous environment adding to our knowledge about the health of these iconic trees.

What to bring

·       Hopefully there will be plenty of snow, but either way we will be outdoors the whole time and you will need appropriate boots and clothing for walking in snow. Note that we will not be venturing outside of the village into the ski area. 

·       You will need warm gear, good gloves, water, rainproof jacket and overpants to be outdoors in an alpine environment. We may get quite wet during the surveying so make sure you have a warm top to stay warm (synthetic or wool rather than down). Something to sit on (eg foam mat) would be good.

WHEN

August 29th, 2026 at 10:00 - 1pm

WHERE

Meet at Alpine Central, Mt Buller village