Forest Frontline: A Landmark Forum for Forests, Wildlife and River Health
On 21 March 2026 — the United Nations’ International Day of Forests — Richmond River Koala Parks is bringing together some of the region’s most respected voices to make the case for their future. BES is proud to share this event with our community and encourages everyone who cares about the health of our forests and rivers to attend.
The forests of the Northern Rivers are not just scenery. They are the lungs of the landscape — filtering water into the Richmond River, cooling the catchment, sheltering koalas, powerful owls and hundreds of other species found nowhere else on Earth.
What Is Forest Frontline?
Forest Frontline is a community forum hosted by Richmond River Koala Parks: an organisation dedicated to protecting the forests and wildlife corridors of the Richmond River catchment. The event takes place on Saturday 21 March at 3:00pm (running approximately 3 hours) at the White Brook Theatre, Southern Cross University, Lismore, a fitting venue for a conversation about the landscapes that surround it.
The forum is a rare opportunity to hear directly from researchers and advocates who have spent careers studying and defending these landscapes, and to understand the connections between healthy forests, thriving wildlife, and a healthy Richmond River. Entry is free with RSVP.
A Speaker Lineup Worth the Drive
Forest Frontline features a genuinely exceptional lineup:
Melissa Lucashenko - Bundjalung woman, Miles Franklin Award-winning author and one of Australia's most powerful voices on land, justice and Country, will MC the afternoon.
Dailan Pugh, one of the Northern Rivers' most respected environmental advocates and a longtime champion of old-growth forest protection, will present alongside:
Maria Mathes - environmental researcher and advocate
David Milledge - ecologist and specialist in forest-dependent fauna including powerful owls
Dr Steve Phillips - conservation ecologist
Dr Kristin den Exter - environmental scientist
Associate Professor Andrew Brooks - leading researcher in river geomorphology and catchment health
Together, this panel spans forest ecology, wildlife science, river health and community advocacy, exactly the cross-disciplinary conversation our forests need.
Why This Matters for the Northern Rivers
The health of the Richmond River catchment is inseparable from the health of its forests. Riparian vegetation stabilises riverbanks, reduces erosion and keeps water temperatures low enough to support native fish. Forest cover in the upper catchment buffers against flood peaks and drought. And for species like the koala, already under acute pressure across NSW, intact forest corridors are the difference between population recovery and local extinction.
BES has long advocated for strong forest protections as part of our commitment to biodiversity, water security and climate resilience across Ballina Shire. Events like Forest Frontline build the community knowledge and political will that makes lasting protection possible.
This is the kind of conversation that shapes policy, and it starts with the community showing up.
Watch the Forest Frontline Preview
More resources:
Forest Frontline — RSVP and event details: https://www.richmondriverkoalaparks.com/forest_frontline
Richmond River Koala Parks website: https://www.richmondriverkoalaparks.com/
Forest Frontline preview video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFFJvbNGRlk
UN International Day of Forests: https://www.un.org/en/observances/forests-and-trees-day
BES Advocacy — Sustainable Planning & Biodiversity: https://www.bes.org.au/advocacy
