Hello, my name is Nyd and I am a creature of the forest. We have been called many things in the past but, just like our existence, those names are now forgotten. Some have referred to us as dryads, hamadriades or fairies but that is not what we call ourselves. We are the protectors of the forest, and while you may not believe in our existence, we are here, doing what we have always done.

Where once we were many, we are now few, and I fear that there may not be enough of us to protect and restore the forests.

I live in a pocket of forest surrounded by human habitation. The area I protect grows smaller with the passing years as forest is cleared for human consumption – the growing of grain, the grazing of animals and increasingly, grapevines are replacing the natural forest. There is also the threat that your kind will come with destructive machines to dig up the earth for what lies below. And now the forest is at even more at risk as water becomes scarcer and fire more prevalent and introduced species and diseases threaten the delicate balance I and my kind work so hard to maintain.

I have let you see what I look like as I want you to know that I exist and that you can help me in the important work that I do. My skin is white like the silvery trunks of the gum trees and my hair is the colour of Tuart leaves. I drape myself in paperbark in order that I may blend into the forest. But I am there, and if you look hard enough, you may be able to catch a glimpse of me or one of my kind. Of course, you need to believe that I exist if you wish to see me.

Our role is to ensure that seeds and nuts are gathered and spread within the forest to where they have the best chance of growing, or where they will help other plants to survive. So, we whisper to the native birds and animals and tell them where the best forest fruits are so that they can eat the flowers and fruits and then later, expel the seeds in new locations. We also gather the nuts and move them to places where there is less competition for their survival and a greater chance of growing. Some seeds cannot be released from their protective nut without searing heat, so we place those on rocks in the full sun to bake.

We sing to the new green shoots breaking through the soil to strengthen their resolve to grow strong and resilient. If you are very quiet, you may hear us singing.

For the forest to survive, all parts of it must be in balance, but so much is changing now that maintaining that balance is becoming harder and harder.

I fear that my kind will not exist for much longer in the face of so many challenges to the forest. When we are gone, it will be up to you and your kind to protect the forest- but first you must believe in its importance.

We have done what we can and can do no more. Perhaps that is the real reason I have shown myself to you.