This is the wollemi pine (wollemia nobilis). The oldest fossil of the wollemi tree has been dated to 200 million years ago. Wollemia nobilis is the sole living member of its genus and is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN's Red List. It was discovered in 1994 by a field officer who was rock climbing through narrow gorges in a temperate rainforest wilderness area of the of the Wollemi National Park in NSW. Fewer than a hundred trees are known to be growing wild, in three localities not far apart, in an undisclosed location. It's one of the world's oldest and rarest plants and is now the focus of extensive research. You can buy your own wollemi pine from www.wollemipine.com and royalties return to researchers to fund conservation efforts in the wild and assist other endangered species. Natural history at its finest! -- #woolemipine #woolemi #pine #wollemianobilis #rockclimbing #naturalhistory #bluemountains #conservation #photography #naturephotography #nature #wolleminationalpark #dinosaurpine #nationalparks #wilderness #rainforest #endangeredspecies #IUCN (at Wollemi National Park)
