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.
We must intervene and develop a robust recovery plan if these ecological communities are to remain viable into the future.
Please read on to find out how you can be involved in protecting Snow Gum Country.
Background
After more than five years of work to see snow gums adequately protected, we are now pursuing the option of gaining threatened species listing for snow gums under federal environmental laws (called the EPBC).
If successful, this will help deliver:
· Legal protection and regulatory measures
· Greater access to funding for research and restoration
· National Coordination
· Public awareness and profile of snow gums
· Elaboration of a National Recovery Plan (and Recovery Team)
We believe this is the best chance we have to get the federal government's attention and channel sorely-needed funding to snow gum science and conservation work.
Get involved in the campaign
Here are some ways to get involved in the campaign.
1/ Sign the open letter
The first thing you can do is show your support for listing by signing our open letter to the federal environment minister.
This will demonstrate community support for the application to have snow gums listed under federal environment laws.
It would be great if you could share the letter with friends and family who also have a connection to snow gums and the high country. The more the sign ons, the greater the impact.
We will lodge the application for listing in March 2027.
2/ Post a photo of your favourite tree
There are many ways you can get involved to support the listing application – and here is our first action. We encourage you to join us.
We want to start to amplify the call for the federal government to respond to this issue and show that community members care.
A starting point is to share a photo of your favourite snow gum (possibly with you in the image), share it on social media, and tag the federal environment minister and us (Friends of the Earth Melbourne).
Full details on this action can be found here.
3/ Join the surveys of snow gum forests
During August 2026, and culminating with events across the last weekend of August (29 & 30), we invited resort and mountain loving communities to join us for a couple of hours of citizen science to better understand the health of local snow gum forests.
A report on the August surveys
At least 186 people joined the surveys, which happened across a range of mountains during August 2026. There were two ‘outlier’ populations of remnant snow gums mapped, well away from the core habitat of this vegetation community - at Mt Macedon and on the Mornington Peninsula. Most surveys occurred in Victoria, with one in the ACT. Sadly the surveys planned for the Snowy Mountains had to be cancelled due to poor weather conditions.
Local surveys were organised by the following groups:
Alpine Resorts Victoria (at Mt Buller Mt Stirling)
Dinner Plain primary school
Friends of the Earth
Johnston's Hut Musicians
Macedon and Mt Macedon Landcare
Melbourne University Mountaineering Club
National Parks Association (ACT)
Protect our Winters (Bright chapter)
Traverse Hotham
Upper Goulburn Intrepid Landcare
We will be hosting additional tours in December 2026 - stay tuned for details!
4/ Support our work with a donation
You can support the FoE forests campaign with a tax deductible donation here.
Further information
We have now hosted two ‘snow gum summits’. Check the links for a report from each event.
Report on the 2025 summit at Dinner Plain, VIC
Report on the 2026 summit at Jindabyne, NSW.
You can find our report An Icon at Risk here. This was published in 2021 and catalogues the threats posed to mountain environments in Victoria. Available here.
ABOVE: participants at the 2nd summit, Jindabyne, March 2026.