Northern Rivers rallies for native forests

COMMUNITY members across the Northern Rivers are preparing to gather in Lismore next month to protest native forest logging and promote a citizen science approach aimed at protecting threatened species.

The protest will be held in The Quad in Lismore at 10am on Sunday, March 22, and will coincide with rallies across the country as part of a national campaign coordinated by the Bob Brown Foundation.

Organisers say the 2026 march builds on strong turnouts in recent years and will feature local musicians, performers and talks from forest experts.

Northern Rivers March coordinator Valerie Thompson said the decision to return the protest to Lismore was deliberate.

“It’s time to bring the march back to the heartland of our region and onto the doorstep of many native forests still vulnerable to the ongoing pressures of Forestry Corporation NSW logging,” Thompson said.

While the movement opposes industrial-scale native forest logging, organisers say the event will also highlight efforts to protect endangered species including koalas, greater gliders and swift parrots.

Thompson said community-led “citizen science” had become a key part of those efforts.

 

“Citizen science is the process where volunteer community members go into forests and actively look for threatened species, particularly nesting areas or den trees,” she said.

“Even if a forest is scheduled for logging, our reports can trigger a 50-metre buffer around a den tree and prevent it from being chopped down.”

Survey work is required to be carried out by Forestry Corporation NSW, but Thompson said community searches often recorded higher numbers of rare and endangered species.

“A lot of people in our region don’t even know what a greater glider is,” she said.

“But we are still fighting for the long-term survival of these species, as well as our iconic koalas, because if we don’t protect these forests, we will lose them.”

Local resident Daisy Nutty recently spent several evenings surveying state forests west of Lismore for greater gliders.

“I strongly recommend getting out there and being the eyes for our gliders, quolls, frogs and owls when Forestry Corp just can’t seem to see them,” Nutty said.

“That’s the power of community protecting our local native forests.”

Organisers say more information about the citizen science approach and how residents can take part will be shared at the Lismore event.