Stefan Eberhard, Cloud forest harmony in southwest Tasmania (PLACES 2025)

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@savethenullarbor.org

This ancient cloud forest growing in splendid isolation high on a remote mountain ridge in the southwest wilderness of Tasmania has weathered thousands of storms yet fortunately never suffered from wildfire, axe or saw. These ancient myrtle trees, Nothafagus, are a relic of Gondwana, and have survived for millennia in these moist cool temperate refugia. Unlike eucalypts, these forests are killed by wildfires. Sadly, Tasmania’s ancient rainforests are under increasingly greater risk from wildfires ignited by dry lightning strikes which have escalated dramatically in recent years due to climate change. Late on a summer evening, walking alone with my camera through this magnificent grove of ancient trees festooned in dimly lit moss and ferns, glancing upwards I was struck by the intricate branching architecture of the canopy, appearing like lacework, backlit by the sky. The scene reveals the clever way in which the branching growth form of each tree, striving and competing to reach the sunlight, still shares and gives space for its neighbours.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.