An interactive conservation exhibit is currently on display at the Region Visitor Centre, in Tumut.
The exhibition will be travelling through three eastern states and the ACT.
It will be open to the public in Tumut until September 3.
The exhibition brings to life the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative, one of Australia’s largest scale conservation projects.
The project aims to create a conservation corridor along the mountains and slopes from the Victorian Alps up to far north Queensland.
The exhibition incorporates a video featuring renowned naturalist
and former Burke’s Backyard and ABC radio presenter John Dengate, “walking” visitors through the Great Eastern Ranges via a projection onto a 3D model on a viewing table.
Slopes to Summit is a landscape environmental initiative with the bold vision of conserving and connecting the region’s biodiversity in the face of climate change and other serious environmental threats.
The Slopes to Summit target area extends between the plains and slopes of Albury in the west, to the foothills of Mt Kosciuszko in the east.
The area is currently bordered by the Murray River in the south and extends north of Culcairn, Holbrook and Tumbarumba.
Sam Niedra, the Albury facilitator for Slopes to Summit, hopes the exhibition will increase public awareness.
“This exhibition is a celebration of the ranges,” Mr Neidra said.
He hopes it will raise interest and awareness of the beauty and social values of the Great Eastern Ranges.
“Over 60% of Australia’s threatened species live in the ranges and a quarter of the flora and fauna don’t occur anywhere else in the world.
“That is why it is so important for us to conserve the Great Eastern Ranges,” he said.
The exhibition also displays the beautiful winning photographs from a recent national photographic competition run by Australian Traveller magazine.
As visitors view these photographs of the people and places that make the Great Eastern Ranges unique, they can also listen to the photographers explain how and why they chose their image, and what it means to them.
“The Great Eastern Ranges Initiative is all about the changing face of conservation,” Mr Neidra said.
“It’s about working with private landholders who are key players in the conservation of the ranges, thinking big and bringing communities together to understand that to make a difference we need to act locally and understand how our efforts fit into the bigger picture,” he said.
The exhibition at the Tumut Region Visitor Centre is perfect for school groups or members of the public who want to learn more about the great eastern ranges, their unique beauty and this exciting new conservation Initiative.
For more information about the exhibition call the Tumut Visitor Information Centre on 6947 7025.
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