The Wollemi Pine was thought to have gone extinct two million years ago, until an off-duty ranger stumbled across a grove. Now, experts are doing everything they can to give the tree a second chance.
Hidden deep in the Blue Mountains among the steep cliffs and eucalyptus canopy lies a living fossil.It was thought to have gone extinct two million years ago, until 1994, when an off-duty park ranger stumbled across a grove of these prehistoric giants.
7.30 was granted exclusive access to visit one of three translocation sites, where the NPWS has planted hundreds of Wollemi Pines to expand the tree's footprint."A translocation site is somewhere where we introduce a threatened species into another location in an area, in order to kind of provide an insurance population," Mr Crust said.
"Wollemi Pine seedlings and saplings grow less than one centimetre a year. They won't mature until they can reach the rainforest canopy and access the sunlight above," research scientist Berin Mackenzie said."In over 30 years of monitoring them, the Wollemi Pine recovery team has never seen a seedling, or a juvenile tree, make it to adulthood."
All staff must thoroughly clean their gear beforehand and when walking towards and near the trees they constantly spray their boots, clothes and gear with a special solution of methylated spirits to reduce the risk of spreading disease. "It's really important the public are engaged, and people appreciate the significance and scientific importance," Mr Crust said.
"We were lucky ... the fire actually came through overnight, which meant that it was a bit cooler than if it had come roaring through during the middle of the day," she said.
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