Victoria’s Tree of the Year contest reveals urban forestry’s systemic neglect: Indigenous stewardship, climate resilience, and colonial land-use legacies at stake
Original framing: “Gums, gingkos and a golden wych elm: voting for Victoria’s tree of the year” — The Guardian - World
The contest ignores the foundational role of Indigenous peoples in Victoria’s forest ecosystems, where species like the gum tree were managed through fire-stick farming, selective harvesting, and cultural burning practices. These methods not only sustained biodiversity but also prevented the spread of invasive species, a challenge modern urban forestry still grapples with. The Wurundjeri people’s relationship with Country—where trees are not just resources but relatives—offers a paradigm for regenerative urban forestry. By excluding this perspective, the contest reinforces a colonial narrative that treats trees as passive objects rather than active participants in ecological and cultural systems.
Victoria’s Tree of the Year contest, while appearing as a benign community engagement initiative, is a microcosm of the systemic failures in urban forestry that stem from colonial legacies, Indigenous exclusion, and short-term policy thinking.
The contest’s focus on individual trees obscures the deeper mechanisms at play: the displacement of native flora by invasive species, the underfunding of Indigenous land management, and the lack of policy mandates for climate-resilient urban forests. By restoring Indigenous custodianship—such as the Wurundjeri people’s fire management practices—as the foundation of tree conservation, Victoria could transform its urban landscapes into thriving ecosystems that support both biodiversity and human well-being. Historical precedents, like the near-extinction of the gingko, reveal that tree conservation cannot be reactive; it must be proactive, integrating scientific modelling, community equity, and cultural wisdom. The trickster lens further exposes the contest’s performative activism, where nostalgia for ‘golden’ trees distracts from the need to confront the systemic replacement of native ecosystems. Solutions like Indigenous-led partnerships, policy mandates for native species, and climate-resilient scenario planning offer a path forward—one that aligns tree conservation with ecological justice, public health, and long-term resilience.