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David Lindenmayer will be in conversation, accompanied by a visual presentation, with Alex Sloan on his book, The Great Forest. The rare beauty of the Victorian Central Highlands. It's exquisite photographs by Chris Taylor, Sarah Rees and Steven Kuiter reveal the mountain ash forests of central Victoria to be one of Australia's great natural treasures and is a tribute to an extraordinary landscape now under severe threat.

The city of Melbourne lies on the edge of a vast plain surrounded by a green and blue mountainous rim, whose hills and peaks are home to the magnificent Mountain Ash, the tallest flowering plant on the planet. The Mountain Ash forests were 20 million years in the making, and deep within the valleys are even more ancient, Gondwanic rainforests. The Great Forest showcases these forests as well as the world's tallest moss, breathtaking snow gum plateaus and the remnants of massive extinct volcanoes.

The Great Forest is a tribute to extraordinary landscapes now under severe threat from logging and wildfires, such as the catastrophic fire that struck on Black Saturday in 2009. It uncovers the intricate webs of life that make Mountain Ash forests so much more than their towering trees. It explores the unique forests that have sustained the Gunaikurnai, Taungurung and Wurundjeri peoples for tens of thousands of years, and that provide a home for creatures found almost nowhere else.

'With its glorious photographs, The Great Forest shows why these forests must be preserved for future generations.' - Tim Flannery. 'This wonderful new book highlights the magnificent wet forests of Victoria, and why it is so critical to protect them for their biodiversity, their beauty, and for all of humanity.' - Dame Jane Goodall

Professor David Lindenmayer AO is a world-leading expert on forest conservation and ranked among Australia's top 50 scientists. Based at ANU, he has led some of the largest scale environmental research programs in Australia, including almost 40 years of work in Victoria's magnificent Mountain Ash forests. Chris Taylor, Sarah Rees and Steve Kuiter are outstanding photographers who have worked in Victoria's Central Highlands forests for many years.

Alex Sloan AM, the 2017 Canberra Citizen of the Year, is a regular conversationalist for ANU Meet the Author events. Alex is a Director and Deputy Chair of Australia's progressive think-tank, The Australia Institute, Director of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and Director and Deputy Chair of the ACT Writers Centre.

In accordance to the current COVID-19 guidelines in the ACT, masks are strongly encouraged. Attendees are requested to review and follow ACT Health guidelines before attending the event.

This event is in association with Harry Hartog Bookshop. Books will be available for purchase on the evening in the Cultural Centre foyer. Pre-event book signings will be available from 5.30pm, and available again after the event until 7.30pm. The proceeds of this book will go to a trust fund to help develop the careers of young ecologists.