Incredible, secret firefighting mission saves famous 'dinosaur trees'

Desperate efforts by firefighters on the ground and in the air have saved the only known natural grove of the world-famous Wollemi pines from destruction during the record-breaking bushfires in NSW.

The rescue mission involved water-bombing aircraft and large air tankers dropping fire retardant. Helicopters also winched specialist firefighters into the remote gorge to set up an irrigation system to increase the moisture content of the ground fuels to slow the advance of any fire.

"It was like a military-style operation," NSW Environment and Energy Minister Matt Kean told the Herald. "We just had to do everything." While most of the Wollemi National Park has been burnt by the huge Gospers Mountain fire north-west of Sydney, specialist remote-area fire crews managed to ensure the so-called "dinosaur trees" survived.

"Wollemi National Park is the only place in the world where these trees are found in the wild and, with less than 200 left, we knew we needed to do everything we could to save them,” Mr Kean said.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service, backed by the Rural Fire Service, kept their efforts largely a secret to avoid revealing the location of the Wollemi pines.

https://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/incredible-secret-firefighting-mission-saves-famous-dinosaur-trees-20200115-p53rom.html



Fast Facts
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Claim to fame
One of the world's oldest and rarest trees

Scientific name
Wollemia nobilis

Family
Araucariaceae

Relatives
Kauri, Norfolk Island, Hoop, Bunya and Monkey Puzzle pines

When discovered 1994

Where discovered
200km west of Sydney in a rainforest gorge within the 500,000 hectare Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains

Discovered by
David Noble, a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Officer and avid bushwalker

Age
The Wollemi Pine belongs to the 200 million year old Araucariaceae family

Oldest known fossi
90 million years

Wild population
Less than 100 mature trees

Characteristics
Conifer with attractive, unusual dark green foliage, bubbly bark and sprouts multiple trunks

Growth habit
Fast growing in light, favours acid soils, and temperatures from - 5 to 45°C (23 to 113°F). Trials in the USA and Japan have indicated that it will survive temperatures as cold as -12°C (10.4 °F).

Size
The largest wild Wollemi Pine in the rainforest gorge is 40m tall with a main trunk of 63cm in width

Release date
2006 (check here for more details)

Conservation
Royalties from sales of the Wollemi Pine to support conservation of the Wollemi Pine and other rare and endangered plant species

Best use
Unique gift for special occasions (birthday, wedding, christening), a stunning patio and indoor plant (in well lit positions) and feature tree for parks and large gardens

https://wollemipine.com/