About us
Our Mission
We represent our member groups and supporters and organise a grassroots community campaign to deliver strategic and effective advocacy for the protection of WA’s South-West forests. We are founded on the principle of working for the forests. We believe that forests have their own intrinsic value and that we are all diminished when we think of the forests only in terms of their commercial values.
Our mission is to see WA’s native forests fully and securely protected and managed to maintain and restore their ecological values, and to empower the next generation to successfully defend them against future threats.
Our Mission
We represent our member groups and supporters and organise a grassroots community campaign to deliver strategic and effective advocacy for the protection of WA’s South-West forests. We are founded on the principle of working for the forests. We believe that forests have their own intrinsic value and that we are all diminished when we think of the forests only in terms of their commercial values.
Our mission is to see WA’s native forests fully and securely protected and managed to maintain and restore their ecological values, and to empower the next generation to successfully defend them against future threats.
WAFA’s Story
WAFA was established in 1990 to provide an umbrella organisation for the many groups working to protect WA’s native forests. We are grassroots, not-for-profit and committed to the protection of the forests for the forests’ sake. Since formation, we have worked towards our ultimate goal of the full protection of WA’s native forests and woodlands from logging and clearing.
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Recent Achievements
In 2001, following an extraordinary decade-long community campaign we protected 230 000 hectares
of old-growth forests. Since then we have made significant additional gains for forests and wildlife. We have:
- Achieved a policy change to end native forest logging in the remaining South West
forests by January 2024 - Achieved a freeze on logging of high conservation value two-tiered karri forests
- Identified and protected key areas of old-growth and other high conservation value
forests that missed out on reservation in 2001 - Secured the protection of all large marri trees for wildlife during most jarrah logging
operations - Required industry to protect old trees with obvious nesting hollows and to carry out
fauna surveys to protect special nesting and food supply areas in karri clear-felling
operations. This equates to many thousands of the oldest and most ecologically
valuable trees being protected during logging operations every year. - Prevented the logging industry from undoing forest protection measures, specifically
efforts to wipe 50,000 ha of Fauna Habitat Zones off the map and take 100,000 ha of
forests out of national parks in the lead-up to the current Forest Management Plan - Stopped imminent logging in Helms, Lewin, Channybearup, Nelson, Barrabup and
Dalgarup forests - Exposed the wrongful export of whole logs from public forests by Nannup Timber
Processing Pty Ltd, the second largest sawmilling operation in the South West,
causing its contract to buy marri sawlogs to be withdrawn. (NTP has now changed
hands and is being run by QLD company, Parkside Timber)
Our vision
The South West forests are securely protected in Class A conservation areas where they are co-managed and co-vested with Noongar / Bibbulmun people and recognised for their profound intrinsic values.
WA fully funds a proforestation program where remaining forests are protected, and where possible, cleared land is restored to reconnect forest ecosystems for wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate, water, culture and communities.
Our vision
The South West forests are securely protected in Class A conservation areas where they are co-managed and co-vested with Noongar / Bibbulmun people and recognised for their profound intrinsic values.
WA fully funds a proforestation program where remaining forests are protected, and where possible, cleared land is restored to reconnect forest ecosystems for wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate, water, culture and communities.
the alliance
The WA Forest Alliance is an umbrella organisation made up of more than 25 forest conservation groups in Perth and the South West.
The Alliance works together for the protection of WA’s south-west forests and wildlife. If your conservation group would like to join the Alliance, please fill and send an application form. There is an annual fee on a sliding scale based on the size of your organisation, starting at $22/year.
Current Member Groups:
Albany Community Environment Centre
Balingup Friends of the Forest
Barrabup Conservation Group
Blackwood Environment Group
Bridgetown Greenbushes Friends of the Forest
Busselton Dunsborough Environment Centre
Conservation Council of WA
Denmark Environment Centre
Dwellingup Discovery Forest Defenders
Friends of the Greater Kingston Forest
Friends of the Earth WA
Friends of Porongurup Ranges
Jarrahdale Forest Protectors
Great Walk Network
Greater Beedelup National Park Society
Margaret River Regional Environment Centre
Nannas For Native Forests
Peel Preservation Group Inc
South Coast Environment Group
South West Environment Centre
South-West Forest Defence Foundation
Stop the Forest Losses
The Friends of Gelorup Corridor Inc
The Wilderness Society WA
Toodyay Naturalist’s Club Inc
Warren Environment Group
Current Member Groups:
Albany Community Environment Centre
Balingup Friends of the Forest
Barrabup Conservation Group
Blackwood Environment Group
Bridgetown Greenbushes Friends of the Forest
Busselton Dunsborough Environment Centre
Conservation Council of WA
Denmark Environment Centre
Dwellingup Discovery Forest Defenders
Friends of the Greater Kingston Forest
Friends of the Earth WA
Friends of Porongurup Ranges
Jarrahdale Forest Protectors
Great Walk Network
Greater Beedelup National Park Society
Margaret River Regional Environment Centre
Nannas For Native Forests
Peel Preservation Group Inc
South Coast Environment Group
South West Environment Centre
South-West Forest Defence Foundation
Stop the Forest Losses
The Friends of Gelorup Corridor Inc
The Wilderness Society WA
Toodyay Naturalist’s Club
Warren Environment Group
Committee & staff
Jess Beckerling
Convenor
Member Group represented: South Coast Environment Group
Jess has been involved in forest conservation since she joined the Giblett forest blockade near Pemberton as a teenager. She has extensive and detailed knowledge of the South West forests, their ecology, biodiversity, climatic and water interactions, flora and fauna, and the threats that they face.
Jess has a degree in Environmental Management from Murdoch University and has experience and networks across the environment movement in Australia. She believes in the power of grassroots campaigns to make changes, even where the odds are stacked firmly against us, and that with conviction, courage and compassion, solutions can be found that provide for everybody’s needs.
Giz Watson
Secretary
Member Group represented: Albany Community Environment Centre
Giz Watson joined the Campaign to Save Native Forests in the late 70s when she became aware of the destruction of the northern jarrah forest for bauxite extraction and the planned massive expansion of this mining. She was part of the direct action campaign that occupied the construction site of the Wagerup alumina refinery near Waroona.
She has continued to campaign to the end of logging, degradation and clearing of WA’s native forests; particularly as a Greens MP in the WA Parliament and in training and in supporting activists in nonviolent actions.
Dr Jane Hutchison
Committee Member
Member Group represented: Jarrahdale Forest Protectors
Jane was active in the Campaign to Save Native Forests from the late 1970s, including in the non-violent direct action against Alcoa’s Wagerup Refinery (with Giz Watson). In WAFA, she is particularly involved in the campaign to stop expanded mining in the Northern Jarrah Forest.
As an academic, Jane researched the political economy of labour organising, people’s politics, gender and development, and development effectiveness in Southeast Asia. She was a member and Chair of the Oxfam Australia Board (2004-14) and served two years on the Oxfam International Board of Supervisors. Now retired, she is Adjunct Associate Professor in Politics and International Studies at Murdoch University.
Caralynn Hoft
Committee Member
Member Group represented: The Great Walk Network
I have been living in Witchcliffe; building a house, raising a family and teaching in the community for 33 years and walking with the Great Walk Network for 32 years. The Great Walk Network started as a protest walk from Denmark (WA) to Perth to raise awareness about the logging in old growth forests. We have continued to walk with a focus on the land on which we walk and the way we live.
I am now the Convenor of the Great Walk Network and I believe in the power of community to create positive change. I have attended many blockades over the years, the first one being the Tuart Forest in Layman’s Road, Busselton in 1988 and the most recent currently at Helms Forest near Nannup.
Serena Terry
Committee Member
Member Group represented: Barrabup Conservation Group
I have lived in the south-west of WA for over 20 years. Watching the forest become terribly degraded over that time has been heart wrenching. All that I moved here for was disappearing.
As a horticulturalist I could see old growth being bowled over and diminished rapidly. When alerted to the plight of Barrabup 03, I felt that action needed to be taken and joined the Barrabup Action Group. The success in saving the Old Growth from logging came from knowing the forest and the years of experience WAFA gave in support.
It also led to me joining forces with WAFA to help stop native forest logging.
Dr Carole Peters
Committee Member
Member Group represented: Margaret River Regional Environment Centre
Educator, writer, researcher and activist with interests in feminist and qualitative research, social justice and the environment. During a twenty year career in Gifted and Talented education, including teaching, curriculum design, administration, project leadership, workshop facilitation and consulting, Carole encouraged creative and critical thinking techniques and a problem solving approach to learning. Her PhD thesis (2005) investigated leadership, diversity, organisational culture, workplace politics and change.
Carole’s environmental activism stems from her concern for the unnecessary logging, burning and clearing of our forests, particularly after witnessing insensitive clearing for housing developments and broad scale burning to meet quotas, including the devastating escaped burns that resulted in the 2011 Margaret River region wildfires, in our southwest biodiversity hotspot.
Geoff Evans
Committee Member
Member Group represented: Denmark Environment Centre
Geoff has been involved in the forest campaign since 1994 when he first joined the NVDA at Lockhart, Sharp, Jane, Giblett to name a few. Sharp and Jane blocks were both important successes in the overall campaign.
Then in 1996 Geoff was co-convenor of the D’Entrecasteaux Coalition and Save Lake Jasper campaign. Twenty-five years later we finally achieved the reinstatement of the excised reserve back to the D’Entrecasteaux National Park. This was a great win.
Geoff has been very involved at the Denmark Environment Centre over the years holding various positions Convenor, Deputy convenor, Secretary.
Nelson Gilmour
Staff
Nelson got involved with WAFA through direct action at Dalgarup and believes we have to protect every tree we have left.
Nelson went to Murdoch University (Politics) and University of Tasmania (Theatre).
Paddy Cullen
Staff
Paddy first got involved in forest activism while at Murdoch University where he studied biology. His first job was working on a numbat reintroduction project. He then moved on to land care work across Australia and then another reintroduction project, this time with gibbons in the rainforests of Thailand.
For the last 20 years he has worked on local, national, and international human rights and environmental campaigns and taught in a range of subjects at university, including ecology and Indigenous rights.
Donna Chapman
Staff
Donna is our graphic designer. With many years working in the design industry and a strong passion for protecting our planet and wildlife, Donna has lent her skills to many different causes over the years, from ocean to forest campaigns, from climate action to citizen science, and the protection of wildlife. Her design and social media knowledge have been the tools to help educate a broader audience.
Exploring the connection people have with the forests, Donna hopes to create visuals that tell the story succinctly, inspire action, and empower people to protect what they love.
Jinni Wilson
Staff
Jinni Wilson has a background in anthropology and heritage tourism. She worked for five years in the Margaret River caves taking tours and megafauna workshops, and maintains a particular interest in palaeontology, cultural histories, and climate change. First involved in forest action in 1996, she is now a writer and photographer specialising in the landscapes of Western Australia and believes in fostering a sense of place through literature and the arts.
Jinni has lived all her life in the forests of the South West. She has been based in Wadandi country since 1982 and currently lives in Margaret River. She has a BSc(Hons) in Anthropology and a BA in Professional writing and publishing.
Jess Boyce
Staff
Jess Boyce brings with her experience in event management and community engagement through the arts, having worked in not-for-profit community arts centres and grassroots artist-run-initiatives. She currently also manages an annual environmental art project for young people. Jess is passionate about community engagement to drive action on conservation and climate.
Jess holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Rebecca Chapple
Treasurer
Member Group represented: Conservation Council of Western Australia
Rebecca is a qualified bookkeeper and registered BAS agent who loves to use her skills to help organisations aligned with her values. She has her own bookkeeping business serving mostly the Fremantle community and is also a mum to her four year old son.
Rebecca is passionate about the conservation of our unique South West Forests and works in the background so that those working on the frontline can focus on the big issues.