‘Rise up’: monks urge WA towns to fight minerals exploration in vulnerable Jarrah forests

Ajahn Appicchato of the Bodhinyana monastery remains concerned about mining companies exploring in the Jarrah forests of Western Australia. Photograph: Tony McDonough/The Guardian

Buddhist monks who have sought enlightenment in a globally unique forest in Western Australia are standing defiant after fighting off an attempt to explore their area for minerals.

Conservationists say the northern Jarrah forest in the state’s south-west, already under pressure from climate change, is the target of several mining companies looking to explore for minerals needed for the clean energy transition.