WOTCH is a volunteer-run grassroots organisation dedicated to protecting Victoria's native forests through citizen science, community engagement and advocacy.

We survey in the Central Highlands of Victoria, from Toolangi in the west all the way to Baw Baw in the east. Using thermal and infrared video technology to detect threatened species in areas of forests earmarked for logging, WOTCH has protected over 1500ha from logging since it was established in 2014.

But sometimes surveying alone isn’t enough to save an area. That’s when the WOTCH community steps in to tell our elected representatives what we stand for, and we stand for forests.

And now for the first time we are using litigation to secure the future of our threatened wildlife, in 2020 taking VicForests to court to protect habitat that remains after this summer’s catastrophic bushfires.

We need to raise funds to support our court case and ongoing survey activities.

The WOTCH Supreme Court case
We have launched a Supreme Court case against VicForests to stop the state-owned agency from logging areas of unburnt habitat for threatened species impacted by the bushfires – including the Greater Glider, Sooty Owl, Powerful Owl and Smoky Mouse.

Represented by Environmental Justice Australia, WOTCH alleges that logging where fire-affected threatened species have been sighted or their habitat exists is unlawful until the state and federal governments have concluded their bushfire biodiversity response and threatened species are protected in light of the findings.

The Victorian government’s own preliminary response to the bushfires lists the threatened Greater Glider, Smoky Mouse, Sooty and Powerful Owls among the “fauna species of most immediate concern”. And yet clear-fell logging continues in their habitat!

This is the first court case to protect threatened species in the wake of the bushfires.

How will the funds be used?
You will provide critical funds for the WOTCH court case and our ongoing survey work.

Funds will go towards legal advice, representation, expert witnesses, including travel and accommodation, and other court costs as well as our barristers and solicitors to prepare and present the strongest arguments and best defence for our precious threatened wildlife.

Funds raised will also allow us to continue to deploy wildlife surveying teams throughout the Central Highlands and will go towards travel costs and surveying equipment.