Eucalypt 2020
In 2020 we were awarded the inaugural Eucalypt Australia Fellowship. For the entire year we worked all around Australia filming and exploring 12 keystone eucalypt species. Focusing on the fun and excitement of that exploration Steve took his on screen presentation to the next level.
“It would have been too easy to follow the usual edutainment approach of listing a number of facts. For this project I wanted to really do something different and focus on the fun of it all, I wanted to have a good time producing and presenting and I think that excitement makes these video easy for kids and adults to watch”.
Steve Pearce
Watch each episode
Eucalyptus Pauciflora or the Snow Gum easily rivals the River Red Gum for the most iconic eucalypt. It is well known for living in high altitude environments where it takes on a gnarly twisted form from its exposure to the harshest of elements. However, Eucalyptus pauciflora is the champion of altitudinal distribution because it can be found from sea level all the way up to our highest peaks.
Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata is one of if not the most well-adapted Eucalypt to cold conditions. It produces a sweet sugary sap that naturally has a much lower freezing point. Known as the Miana Cider Gum it has a traditional use by the Palawa as a sweet, possibly fermented drink with a likeness to apple cider. Being so well adapted to very cold environments it is struggling to keep up the rate of temperature changes brought on by climate change.
In this episode, we take a look at several of the weird and wonderful eucalypts of the Fitzgerald River national park in Western Australia. Home to more than 1800 species of plant of which 62 are found only in the park it is a botanical treasure trove. We showcase the Wartiest, Squarest, Weepiest, Ribbiest and Horniest eucalypts in our final video for 2020!
The Snappy Gum or Eucalyptus leucophloia is a mysterious tree that can be found in the Pilbara of Western Australia and the East of the Northern Territory into Western Queensland. Strangely, there is a very large 1000km gap in its distribution which we like to call The Snappy Void 🌀. While there are many unanswered mysteries what we do know is that this tree with its love of hot dry conditions is perfect for use in Restoration Ecology.
Eucalyptus obliqua takes out the title of the fluffiest eucalypt, this fluffy bark enables this tree to have exceptionally high resilience to fire. It achieves greatness by being a true giant reaching more than 85m high and an astonishing 300 cubic meters in volume. Eucalyptus obliqua also represents the first eucalypt discovery by being the very first eucalypt formally described by European botanists in 1777.
The Karri of Western Australia grows to be more than 85m tall the Karri or Eucalyptus diversicolor rivals the giants of Tasmania and Victoria. They inhabit a wide range of environments from coastal sandy soils to the rich clay soils on the inland hills. Usually, only a few lucky people ever get to climb into their highest branches but you... yes, you can climb 3 of these trees for free!
The Ghost Gum or Corymbia aparrerinja is one of Australia's most recognisable trees but did you know that the term Ghost Gum isn't referring to one species of tree but a group of around 24 species. Follow along as we travel to the deep gorges of Central Australia to find some of the most spectacular individuals of this species.
The River Red Gum is the most widely distributed eucalypt, it covers the entire continent except Tasmania and SW Western Australia. It provides valuable habitat to many animals including our often forgotten fish. As Australians, there's no doubt that you have seen one and if you have camped near a river you would have enjoyed its shade. A true Aussie icon for the ages!
The Red Tingle holds the super heavyweight title of the eucalypts with the biggest base of all eucalypts. This tree has a very small range and is located in the south west of Western Australia. Giant, gnarly, burnt and scared these eucalypti have plenty of character and feature the most amazing burnt bases which can be almost completely hollow.
We travel west from Alice Springs past Uluru and into Western Australias Great Sandy Desert to explore this tree and its habitat. The Desert Bloodwood survives in our remotest desert landscapes and its resilience to heat, drought and fire make it perfectly suited to these inhospitable arid regions.
Gimlet or Eucalyptus Salubris... the sexy gum??? Well, we aren't qualified to designate a tree as sexy but what we can say is that this is one spectacular eucalypt. Its shimmering bronze bark is so unique that stories of it have inspired many to make a monuments journey to see it. Also, Gimlet isn't a eucalypt all alone in the landscape, it grows in the Great Western Woodland. The Great western Woodland is an area of exceptionally high eucalypt diversity with around one third of all eucalypt species found there.
Eucalyptus regnans is the biggest and tallest Eucalypt, it's also the tallest tree in the southern hemisphere. At 100.5 meters tall it is hard to understand the scale of these trees. Eucalyptus regnans grows in Victoria and Tasmania’s wet cool forests, with such a luscious growing environment the amazing growing habits of this tree are worthy of a closer look. We also see how thousands of tons of atmospheric carbon are stored in each and every old growth tree making them a vital part of a carbon capture economy.