Save Your Leatherwood Honey!
Join us to stop the clearfelling and burning of the Tasmanian leatherwood forest.
- No accessible trees means no honey from the Southern Beekeepers and no pollination in the South of Tasmania.
- Tasmania’s prized Leatherwood honey, and stone fruits and vegetables all from the South, may just become a sad, beautiful memory.
- The production of a unique, world renowned honey will be drastically reduced.
As you read this, Tasmania’s 350-year old leatherwood trees are being clear-felled to produce throwaway products. Very few leatherwood trees will remain in the south and only in small, hard-to-access areas. The production of a unique, world-renowned pure honey may no longer be possible.
At present the loss of Leatherwood is imminent in the south of the state and the main concern is the flow on effect to other industries – particularly pollination services for agriculture.
Read more about the story of leatherwood honey and keep up to date with our news.
This chain reaction is happening right now: No leatherwood trees >> no leatherwood honey >> no beekeeping industry >> diminished pollination of fruits and vegetables >> reduction in agricultural production >> reduction of exports >> a further diminishing of Tasmania's 'clean green' image >> a possible increase in GM crops.
Read about the chronology of the leatherwood honey issue in Tasmania.
© Australian National Botanic Gardens.
Reproduced with permission.
Leatherwood honey is produced by bees from the fragrant blossoms of the leatherwood tree.
‘State acquiesence in the destruction of good timber only because the trade demands it, is a crime against coming generations; any attempts to increase the export in the interest of foreign companies, or with the object of inducing more men to join in timber getting at the expense of posterity, needs wise resistance...’
Second Royal Commission into Forests (WA), 1903
You may also want to visit the Timber Workers for Forests website to read about their concerns and objectives.