In December 2019, firefighters secretly saved the rare Wollemi pine from bushfires, protecting the prehistoric trees, with only 200 left in the wild.
In a lifesaving mission as dramatic as any in the months-long battle against the wildfires that tore through the Australian bush in December of 2019.
But, instead of a race to save humans or animals, a specialized team of Australian firefighters was bent on saving invaluable plant life: hidden groves of the Wollemi pine, a prehistoric tree species that has outlived the dinosaurs.
Wollemia nobilis peaked in abundance in prehistoric years, before a steady decline.
Today, only 200 of the trees exist in their natural environment – all within the canyons of Wollemi National Park, just 100 miles west of Sydney.
The trees are so rare that they were thought to be extinct until 1994, when David Noble, an officer with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, discovered an unfamiliar tree species when rappelling in the park.
The samples he brought back stumped biologists and botanists.
It was only when he returned with scientists a month later that the mystery was solved.
“When the pines were discovered in 1994, you might as well have found a living dinosaur,” it was reported.
Their exact location has been kept a secret since then to protect them from contamination, and the firefighters’ efforts to save them were kept similarly secret to protect their location.
Prehistoric Wollemi Pines Saved by Firefighters from Australia's Bushfires
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About The Author
John Bagnasco has been in the gardening industry for over 50 years, starting with a horticulture degree from Michigan State University and following a stint at Frank’s Nursery and Crafts in Detroit.
After publishing his first book “Plants for the Home Vol. I” in 1976, he moved to California to become regional manager and buyer for the Nurseryland division of Sunbelt Nursery Group.
He then became the head buyer for Armstrong Garden Centers based in Glendora, California. John had a part-time affiliation with Creative Promotions for ten years before joining them full-time in October 2000 as a senior editor and radio personality for Garden Compass.
John has also taught horticulture classes at Palomar College and San Diego State University.
He is the host of the DVD “The Essential Guide to Roses,” which also features Bryan Main and Bruce and Sharon Asakawa.
His most recent book is “Planting Designs for Cacti and Succulents”.
Currently, John is a co-host on “Garden America,” an interactive live gardening show that additionally provides podcasts of the broadcasts accessible on all major platforms.
You can contact John here.