90 days to save a 500-year-old giant 🌲
Big Spotty is the tallest Spotted Gum on earth, yet the Brooman State Forest is due to be logged in 3 months time.
At 71 metres tall, Big Spotty was a sapling when Leonardo Da Vinci was alive. But it cannot survive alone. It depends on the surrounding forest to shield it from storms and stabilize the soil.
Help us protect this icon permanently by declaring the Big Spotty Flora Reserve before the chainsaws arrive.
Tap the sign up button or the link in our bio to demand the NSW Government creates the reserve before logging begins.
On an autumn morning in 2023, I had a very close call with a Great White Shark while surfing.
The moment was captured on a drone in crystal clear water.
We’ve kept the footage private, hoping it could be used for something more constructive than a sensational news piece. After 18 months of development, we’re now moving into production on a feature-length documentary titled @crossingthetideline . The film is a co-production with @stitchfilms.au and @regenerators - directed by @andrewkaineder , executive produced by @damon.gameau , and produced by Anna Kaplan.
Human–shark interactions appear to be increasing, with the impacts and unanswered questions rippling through coastal communities, car parks and lineups around the country. Approached without an agenda, the film sits not just with those questions, but with trauma, PTSD and mental health.
This is an extremely nuanced and sensitive subject. Having lived through the experience, it’s created space to examine fear, perception and reality, and to ask how we might coexist with sharks in the ocean.
There are still many questions without clear answers. With several incidents already this year in NSW, we’re launching this page early and will update as the film progresses. Alongside the film, we’ll also be releasing a podcast to continue the conversations we can’t fit into 80 minutes.
Imagery by @miller.best | @fox_in_soks | @oliver.risi | @andrewkaineder
After the loss of his home and Aboriginal culture centre, Budawang elder Noel Butler mourns not for the structures that once stood, but for the flora and fauna we share this land with.
* This film was made on the country of the Dhurga language group known as Yuin. We acknowledge and respect the people, the culture and the values of this land that has been nurtured by our ancestors for thousands of years so that we can learn and continue to support this practice and walk together...
Credits:
Directed & Produced by @andrewkaineder
Cinematography: @ryan_andrew_lee & @andrewkaineder
Editing: @lilydavis____
Composition: @jpfranklin_
Performing Musicians: Joseph Lisk - Trumpet, Jane Aubourg - Violin
Sound Design & Mix: @electricsheepmusic
Colour: @fergrotherham
Design: @great.weather
Animation: @jacks.studio
Thanks to: Noel & Trish Butler. @nuragunyu Monica Mudge at @treading_lightly_inc
Epic few days down in Glenbog filming a scene for @clearcut.film on the incredible work @jarakewildlife are doing to protect wombats in the state forest from the impacts of logging.
I hadn’t given it much thought before, but wombats are sleeping in the burrows during the day and can be buried alive by logging machinery.
Forestry Corporation aren’t required to map or check for wombats before, during or after operations and it became evident that animal cruelty on this industrial scale is quite hard to stomach.
Marie and Ray have documented over 1000 wombats burrows in Glenbog State Forest and physically dug out burrows that were collapsed by machinery and documented wombat deaths trapped under logging debris. You can see more of their work on their website.
If you’d like to support the film or Jarake head to the link in my bio.
đź“· @hayden.griffith | @andrewkaineder
National Eucalypt Day yesterday. Bit slow to the party, but what better way to acknowledge it than to check out this magnificent beauty.
đź“· @itsmikeyconlon
Mennal show of support for Big Spotty and South Coast Forests at @bobbrownfoundation March in March. Pleasure chatting to everyone and giving an update on the big tree’s future.
Since @eric_pierce217 and @zinon__ sent me 60m up into the foliage we’ve had over 300,000 watch the short piece and about 16,000 people sign on @naturensw .
Sick to see Big Spotty inspiring the next gen to push for change. Feels like the swell has come early.
📸 @bag.full.of.sunshine
I’m hosting a screening at @theservo.pk on Sunday March 15 of the Walkley award winning documentary @yurlu.country . It’s one of the most important stories of our time on the largest contaminated site in the southern hemisphere - right here in Australia.
It’s a great opportunity to talk about our local issues of water quality, in particular the poisoning of water with PFAS in Jervis Bay affecting the Wreck Bay community. A story many of you might not be aware of.
Tickets are $10 to cover the cost of film.
Tickets in bio.
Behind the scenes with filmmaker @andrewkaineder for his latest documentary @clearcut.film and the release of a new campaign by @naturensw to protect the forest surrounding the tallest spotted gum in the world - Big Spotty.
With the help of skilled arborists and climbers, Andy was positioned 62m up in the 🌳 canopy to capture the scale of this 71m, 500+ year old giant.
It was his first time climbing a tree - ever.
“I was definitely pretty nervous. I originally picked the first branch, but when we scoped the shot we knew we had to go higher. I wasn’t to keen on that initially, but it was such hard work I didn’t really feel the fear until it was time to come down (and I started looking down) haha”
If you care about the incredible places we explore in Australia, now’s the time to show up for them.
Sign the petition via the link in his Bio and follow @clearcut.film for future updates. #savebigspotty
Some old bushfires textures on the way to Folly Point in the Budawangs. Haven’t been out there in years, the @budawanggallery project has taken a backseat unfortunately!
