In this issue

“Oh my god,” I thought, lapsing into the language of my teenaged daughter, “this issue is full of nature stories.” “LOL,” I thought, proving my fluency in techspeak, “Tasmania is full of nature, so why shouldn’t this magazine be full of nature also?”

Dr Carol Freeman knows a great deal about Tasmanian nature, and has written compellingly about it in Tasmania 40°South issues past. Dr Jules Freeman, Dr Carol’s son, is a molecular geneticist who studies blue gums (Eucalyptus globulus). When they get together to prepare a feature story on this most Tasmanian of trees, one doesn’t hesitate to publish it.

Jess Feehely is Principal Lawyer at EDO Tasmania. EDO stands for Environmental Defenders Office, an organisation which knows the law and will use it to the letter to protect nature. Its story goes back a long way in Tasmania, as does its list of achievements, and the story makes fascinating reading.

Jonathan Esling is another name synonymous with Tasmanian nature. The big picture is that he’s a photographer with a variety of interests, including close-up images of some of the little things in our wilderness. It’s a highly-technical, highly-skilled form of photography, and we are delighted to present in this issue Esling’s story and some of his images.

We are also delighted to present a new column in this issue, and it is, naturally, about nature. Peter Grant is a writer and founder of the Wildcare Tasmania Nature Writing Prize. His Tasmania 40°South column will carry the same name, The Patch, as its subject – a 150-hectare patch of Tasmania immediately behind Peter Grant’s home on the slopes of kunanyi / Mt Wellington. If you think that sounds limiting, I can assure there is plenty for Peter Grant’s elegant prose to focus on because The Patch, like Tasmania, is full of nature.

Forty South Tasmania Magazine Description:

Tasmania has been described as the world's best-kept secret, but it's not our fault - we have been telling the world about Tasmania for over 20 years. Forty South Tasmania has been described as a lifestyle magazine with brains. It offers three things: interesting features about Australia's island state, good writing and stunning photography. The magazine is a household name in Tasmania, but also has many subscribers elsewhere - people who have visited this beautiful place and now read the magazine for a regular reminder of an extraordinary experience. Forty South Tasmania offers feature stories, and stunning photography, about Tasmanian places and people, tourism, history and lifestyle, and regular columns on Tasmanian food, wine, arts and culture.