After beginning her career fighting fires from helicopters in Canada, Erin Tassell has become the first female State Duty Officer in the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attraction’s Parks and Wildlife Service—helping lead the response to major bushfires across the State.

Do you have a story about the time you climbed the Gloucester Tree?  

It’s the tree adventure that has sparked countless dinner-table stories and topped bucket lists for generations. Whether you’re determined to conquer a fear of heights, chasing an adrenaline rush, or simply craving a moment of connection with nature, the Gloucester Tree has been creating unforgettable memories for decades. Now, after some much needed restoration, WA’s most famous tree climb is back.

In late 2025, conservation officers set out into the remote and rugged wilderness of the Fitzgerald River National Park to assess the health of several populations of threatened flora. Two months later, lightning ignited a bushfire that burned almost half of the park. Despite such a large and intense summer bushfire, the team is optimistic that these threatened flora can thrive into the future.

A new chapter is unfolding at Garaan-ngaddim Horizontal Falls, where Traditional Owners, tourism operators and government are working together to create culturally respectful visitor experiences that celebrate Dambeemangaddee knowledge, protect Country and support a sustainable future for one of the Kimberley’s most iconic destinations.

With over nine regions spanning Western Australia, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is responsible for the sustainable management of species, ecosystems, lands and attractions. But with increasing pressures, dedicated staff embarked on a new collaborative process to prioritise conservation work, for now and for the future.

A culturally significant gesture between Yarnangu Traditional Owners and DBCA is now on public display, with precious glass artworks exhibited at DBCA headquarters.

In June 2025, LANDSCOPE magazine celebrated 40 years of sharing knowledge and delighting its readers. A celebration event in September brought together contributors and advocates in honour of the ongoing legacy of Western Australia’s parks, wildlife and conservation magazine.

Seed production areas on the south coast are providing new hope for flora species on the mountaintops of Stirling Range National Park.

Across Western Australia’s vast rangelands, life thrives in remarkable and resilient forms.  

In the face of change, one skilled and passionate teacher has capitalised on a new opportunity: to showcase our State’s natural beauty to students across WA. The result is a powerful bridge between real-world environmental stories and structured curriculum outcomes. 

What happens to insects and other invertebrates exposed to prescribed burns in the jarrah forests of south-west Western Australia? Do they survive, and if so, how? Three decades of invertebrate sampling in jarrah forest has led to the discovery that many surface-active invertebrates survive in small patches of unburned habitat. These act as vital refugia, allowing invertebrate communities to survive fire and recolonise the forest. 

Despite being a large and formidable predator, the Pilbara olive python rather prefers a quiet life. So quiet that before the advent of modern radio transmitters, it had been challenging to track its ecology. Dr David Pearson shares how modern technology has unlocked some of its secrets.

If you’ve ever basked in the warm Perth summer sun, enjoying the beauty of the Swan-Canning Estuary, you may not have realised that just beneath the surface lie vast stretches of thriving seagrass meadows. These meadows are the most valuable habitats in the waterway, teeming with life and performing key functions to maintain the health of the estuary.   

During a national survey of desert wildlife, the Wiluna Martu Rangers searched Matuwa Kurrara Kurrara National Park for animal tracks and discovered tracks from a surprising species.

Western Australia is home to an extraordinary diversity of terrestrial orchids. But with many species under threat, one Kings Park Research Scientist has devoted her career to conserving these native beauties.

Managing large, intense and complex bushfires that threaten lives and homes is all in a day’s work for Allison Donovan – Western Australia’s first and only female Level 3 incident controller.

It’s now easier than ever to immerse yourself in Yellagonga Regional Park’s natural beauty with new accessible facilities, designed in partnership with Traditional Owners to minimise disturbance to these wonderful wetlands.

Until recently, there were only two recognised subspecies of brushtail possums in Western Australia. Recent scientific research into genetic relationships between brushtail possum populations throughout Australia concluded there is indeed a third subspecies that calls WA home.