Renowned environmentalist Bob Brown made his ‘little bit’ of contribution recently to preventing ‘pyromaniacs’ from burning a national treasure – the Walpole-Nornalup National Park tingle forests.
He joined the Tingle Action Group and WA Forest Alliance to see both the beauty of long-unburnt tingle forest, thriving as it has for centuries, and the impact of prescribed burning, which has felled hundreds of ancient tingle trees.
Dr Brown visited the site of the 2024 prescribed burn at Giants East, where more than 100 trees were lost in a single Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions burn.
Speaking to a gathering at Mt Clare – the site of an historic tree-sit blockade in December 2025 – he said Premier Roger Cook, the Environment Minister, Matthew Swinbourn, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese all could end prescribed burning.
“These forests are full of threatened species; these local earth savers are doing their best to protect these forests, but we need all Australians to be outraged by this destruction,” Dr Brown said.
He visited giant red tingle tree, Kaartadjin Boorna (Knowledge Tree) in Giants West, FRK_116, which DBCA had planned to burn this summer.
Local resident, Paul Jack, had tried to protect this tree after seeing fire crews preparing to light up the fire sensitive eco-system on a high fire danger day.
Mr Jack has been charged with trespass and faces $11,000 in restitution costs.
Dr Brown said the red tingle was one of the biggest trees on the planet.
“It’s been threatened by a government so-called fuel reduction burn which is really a wildlife reduction burn, because it kills all the wildlife,” he said.
‘Doing his little bit’ to save tingles
Dr Brown called Mr Jack a ‘brave individual’ who attempted to protect the tree when the Government came to burn the forest.
“Let’s stop this government vandalism and the loss of these beautiful tingle forests, not least, this ancient giant,” Dr Brown said.
Via Stidwell from the Tingle Action Group was inspired to hear Dr Brown’s passion and determination that had driven his lifelong commitment to protecting the environment.
“Bob’s message about being self-confident and bold in our actions,” she said.
“For years we have presented the science showing how prescribed burning damages fragile tingle forest ecology, yet DBCA continues to insist on burning these forests.
“With only some tingle forest removed from the burn program for only a single season, many in the community are asking whether these forests will simply return to next summer’s burn plans, and if it will once again fall to the community to protect them.
This article appeared in Denmark Bulletin, 21 May 2026.
Related stories: Tingle forest; Open for Debate: Bushfires, Logging, Burns & Forest Management.
