Queen Mary shared photos from her ‘childhood street’ to mark
Biodiversity Day.
In a personally-penned Instagram post, Queen Mary wrote
that during March’s royal visit to Australia, she’d been able to
see her ‘childhood street’ once more, the coast of Tasmania,
“which stretches past Alum Cliffs” and “hides a rich
and diverse ecosystem beneath the surface of the water.”
The coast of Tasmania contains dense forests of seaweed, which
is home to hundreds of animal and plant species, though 95% of the
seaweed forests have disappeared in recent decades dure to ocean
warming and other factors, Queen Mary wrote.
“It’s a huge loss for the unique coldwater
biodiversity,” she wrote, adding that the University of
Tasmania has researchers working to restore the seaweed forests by
replanting the sea urchin forest and harvesting sea urchins, and
restoring crawfish that eat sea urchins. The university works with
government, fishing companies, and the indigenous people to provide
the service.
Queen Mary called the endeavour “an inspiring example of
[how] acting local in community benefits us all.”
In the Instagram post, Queen Mary shared photos and videos taken
by researchers at the University of Tasmania that coincided with
hers and King Frederik’s royal visit in March.
King Frederik and Queen Mary visited Tasmania, and Mary’s
hometown of Hobart, on the final day of
their Australian royal visit. It was their first official visit
to the area since 2005, though they have privately returned to
Australia many times over the years.
During an impromptu speech in Hobart, Queen Mary said that she
felt privileged “that my roots are grounded both in Australia
and Denmark. But they do go a little deeper in Tasmania.
“There really isn’t a more special place to end what has
been a unique, rewarding, moving, exciting, curious tour, state
visit, to Australia from Denmark.”
