We All Need Trees

BREAKING NEWS: Your once-in-a-generation chance to protect our native forests.

Australia’s native forests are some of the most unique and valuable places on Earth. They shelter wildlife found nowhere else, store carbon, cool our communities, protect water and hold deep cultural meaning for First Nations peoples.

But right now, native forests are still being logged. Once lost, they are gone forever.

Across Australia, decisions are being made that could shape the future of our forests for generations. By adding your voice, you can help show decision-makers that Australians want native forests protected and that these forests are worth more standing.

Worth more standing – protect Australian native forests

We all need trees – to breathe, to belong, to survive. They clean our air, cool our towns, store carbon, protect water and give wildlife a place to feed, shelter and raise their young.

But across Australia, these native trees and the life they support are under threat. Forests that took decades, sometimes centuries, to grow are being lost faster than wildlife and communities can recover.

These forests are worth more standing. They are homes for koalas, greater gliders, glossy black-cockatoos and owls. They are living places of culture, memory and connection. They are part of the climate solution, and part of the future we want for our children.

WWF-Australia is working with First Nations peoples, communities, scientists, Governments and supporters like you to protect native forests through the right mix of measures for each place. That includes ending native forest logging where it continues, strengthening nature laws, protecting critical habitat, supporting restoration, and backing fair transition pathways that keep forests standing.

Your voice matters

When you add your voice, you join thousands of people calling on leaders to keep native trees standing.

Sign the petition today

Each jurisdiction has different laws, policy settings and political pathways. WWF is advocating for a suite of measures that keep native forests standing: ending native forest logging where it continues, strengthening nature laws, protecting critical habitat, and supporting fair transition pathways for workers, communities and Country.

Together, we can protect the forests that protect us by calling for:

Protection of the places and wildlife that make our country special.
An end to native forest logging, with clear timelines and strong protections for native forests.
Decisions and outcomes are grounded in First Nations self-determination, community-led stewardship, Traditional Owner authority, Indigenous knowledge, science and community voices.
A fair transition for workers, regional communities and the timber industry, including support for sustainable plantations, restoration jobs and future-focused materials.
Protection and restoration of critical habitat for threatened species, including koalas, greater gliders, glossy black cockatoos and other forest wildlife.
A future where native forests are valued for all they give us - clean air, carbon storage, water, wildlife, culture, connection and climate resilience.

By adding your voice, you’re showing decision-makers that Australians want native forests to stay standing - for nature, people and generations to come.

Greater glider poking its head out of a tree hollow in a patch of old-growth forest in Munruben, Logan City, south of Brisbane

Greater glider poking its head out of a tree hollow in a patch of old-growth forest © Josh Bowell

Wildlife

Native forests are homes. Koalas, wombats, greater gliders, glossy black cockatoos and countless other species rely on mature trees for food, shelter, hollows and connected habitat.
When native forests are logged or cleared, wildlife lose more than trees – they lose the places they need to survive. Mature forests cannot simply be replaced. Hollows can take many decades to form, and connected canopies are essential for animals to move safely through the landscape.
Protecting native forests is one of the most powerful ways we can protect Australia’s unique wildlife and give threatened species a chance to recover.

Aunty Sharron mirii Bell, proud Gamilaraay and Wiradjuri woman, children’s performer and educator at Banksia Walk, Bribie Island © WWF-Australia / Vanessa Barnett

First Nations

First Nations connection to Country stretches back tens of thousands of years. Forests are living places of culture, knowledge, story, food, medicine, ceremony and care. Protecting forests is fundamental to First Nations self-determination because healthy Country enables Traditional Owners to maintain cultural practices, exercise their rights and responsibilities, and make decisions about land management according to their own knowledge systems and priorities. Supporting Traditional Owner authority and community-led stewardship helps ensure forests are cared for through generations of cultural knowledge, strengthening both ecological outcomes and the enduring connection between people, culture and Country.

Close up aerial view of machinery logging in Tallaganda State Forest, NSW. © Andrew Kaineder / WWF-Australia

Communities

Healthy forests protect all of us. They cool towns, clean the air, protect drinking water, store carbon, support local tourism and create places where people can walk, play, rest and reconnect. Native forests are part of what makes Australia feel like home. They are the backdrop to childhood memories, family holidays, bushwalks and quiet moments in nature. They also help communities become more resilient in a changing climate. When we keep native forests standing, we strengthen the systems that keep our planet and our communities healthy. Protecting our native forests means protecting life, culture and connection, now and for generations to come.

What is native forest logging?

Native forest logging is the harvesting of trees from naturally occurring forests, rather than from plantations planted specifically for timber production. Native forests are complex living ecosystems that provide habitat for wildlife, store carbon, protect water and hold cultural significance. Many mature native forests cannot simply be recreated once they are lost.

Why is WWF-Australia focused on ending native forest logging?

Ending native forest logging is one of the clearest ways to protect threatened wildlife, reduce pressure on native forests and support a more sustainable future. Less than half of Australia’s forests remain nationwide- with native forest logging an ongoing threat. Native forests are worth more standing - for wildlife, climate, communities and future generations. WWF-Australia is working to protect native forests, support First Nations-led Caring for Country and help shift Australia from a deforestation nation to a reforestation nation.

Why are native forests important for wildlife?

Native forests provide food, shelter and breeding places for many Australian animals, including koalas, greater gliders, glossy black-cockatoos and owls. Mature trees can contain hollows and connected canopies that many species rely on to survive. When forests are logged or cleared, wildlife lose critical habitat that can take generations to return.

Why do mature trees matter so much?

Mature trees are irreplaceable on human timeframes. They store more carbon, provide shade, support rainfall and create hollows and habitat that can take centuries to form. Planting new trees is important, but it is not enough on its own. We must protect the mature native forests that are still standing.

Does Australia need native forest logging for timber and housing?

Australia’s timber needs are increasingly being met through plantations and more sustainable materials. For example, most of the timber used to build Australian homes comes from softwood plantations. WWF-Australia supports a fair transition that protects workers, regional communities and nature by shifting away from logging native forests and towards sustainable plantations, restoration jobs, value-added manufacturing and future-focused timber and fibre industries.

What happens when I add my voice?

When you add your voice, WWF-Australia will include you as part of a growing community of people calling for native forests to be protected. We will use this collective support to show decision-makers at Federal and State levels that Australians want strong action to end native forest logging and protect native forests. At key political moments, your voice helps demonstrate public support for change.

How can public support make a difference?

Decision-makers are more likely to act when they can see that people across the community care. Thousands of voices together can help create momentum, show broad public support and give leaders confidence to make strong decisions for forests, wildlife and communities.

Is there hope for Australia’s native forests?

Yes. We know what needs to change, and there is growing public support for protecting native forests. By ending native forest logging, strengthening nature laws, supporting First Nations leadership and backing a fair transition for communities, Australia can protect the forests that protect us. Every voice helps build that future.