Mona co-curator and artist Kirsha Kaechele wants to establish a “forest embassy” within Tasmania’s old-growth forests, which she hopes will bring together foresters, conservationists, and First Nations leaders for dinners under the trees to negotiate a new forestry accord.
In an opinion piece published in the Mercury, Kaechele said that the model would allow participants to convene inside a threatened coupe of old-growth forest for formal dinners with the forest as a backdrop. Kaechele plans to live on site, hosting foresters, environmentalists and Palawa elders to discuss land-swap deals that trade high-conservation stands for previously harvested coupes.
“Two years on from the Forest Economics Congress, the task of getting people to the table is less daunting,” she writes, insisting that any new forestry agreement must be guided by First Nations voices and ensure rural communities retain local control and revenue. Kaechele has highlighted the emergence of carbon and biodiversity markets, as well as eco-tourism, as incentives to protect old-growth forests. “Old-growth forests are diamonds. Priceless and rare. We’ll all be richer if we keep them,” she said.
Reactions to her proposal have been mixed. Timber Tasmania lifetime awardee Graeme Elphinstone says “most foresters don’t support old-growth logging,” while conservation groups continue to call for an immediate end to native harvesting. Meanwhile, Palawa elders have yet to publicly endorse the concept, although Kaechele emphasises that First Nations partnership is non-negotiable.
Kaechele expects to announce the forest embassy’s precise location and launch the first dinner series in early 2026. Her goal is for Tasmania to “lead the world in forestry practice,” turning years of conflict into a collaborative model. “No logger left behind. No paradise lost,” she said, extending an invitation to all sides to write Tasmania’s future together.
