The Bob Brown Foundation’s 11th Takayna BioBlitz mobilized 200 citizen scientists and 25 survey leaders from across Australia to document the region’s rich biodiversity, recording more than 400 species and highlighting the urgent need to protect this threatened ancient wilderness.
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 7 December 2025
11th Takayna BioBlitz wraps up with 200 participants recording more than 400 species of plants, animals and fungi
The 11th annual BioBlitz is wrapping up in Takayna after 25 survey leaders and 200 participants from across Australia.
“Bob Brown Foundation is so proud to have hundreds of citizens take action for Takayna at our annual BioBlitz. Science is central component to our Takayna campaign, including addressing the knowledge gaps in records of biodiversity in the region. It’s a globally unique event in a wild ancient place with outstanding universal values. We are living in the climate and extinction crises, and time is up for the governments who fail to protect Takayna,” said Jenny Weber, Bob Brown Foundation Campaigns Director.
“Australia’s longest running BioBlitz is a citizen science project that continues to build our knowledge of the extraordinary values of Takayna.
“Over just two days we have recorded more than 400 species of plants, animals and fungi.
“The total will continue to rise as we conduct further surveys today and identify and catalogue all the discoveries from the twelve survey sites we have visited. Our biodiversity surveys show how much more there is to discover in Takayna, so we will continue this important citizen science work to demonstrate just how special and under threat this region is,” said Dr Nick Fitzgerald, co-founder of Takayna BioBlitz.
“In these days of increasing understanding of the extinction crises, it is ever more important that we come together and call this wilderness refuges home. It is a dream for me to come and see the biodiversity of this region and photograph the micro details of the ancient species and it has exceeded my expectations and bought a lot of joy to see them and share with participants. It is terrible to think these places are still threatened by interests seeking profit from when they are world heritage value environments that should be protected for future generations,” said Peter Crowcroft, naturalist and ecologist from University of Melbourne.
“From threatened rainforests to surveying the Takayna coastline, the unique observations greatly contribute to an encyclopedia on one of the last wild places on Earth. Marine surveys at BioBlitz are vitally important since we found a species of algae not seen in Tasmania before, Codium mamillosum. Marine surveys on Takayna coastline are critical as this coastline must be saved for its vital importance as an intact ecosystem,” said William Marshall-Grey, conservationist who travelled from NSW to be a survey leader.
“The ancient forests and diverse ecosystems of Takayna are essential habitat for many species, a significant amount found nowhere else on earth. Veteran trees provide critical breeding opportunities for Swift Parrots and the Tasmanian Masked Owl and deserve permanent protection. It is these intact forests that will secure the future for native species including the endemic birds that inspire me to keep returning to Takyana,” said Todd Burrows, ecologist who led bird surveys over the weekend.
Images courtesy Bob Brown Foundation – Karen Keefe, Susan Wright, Tim Cooper, Patrick Jordan
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