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Lord Howe Island is a relatively small Pacific island of just 14.55 square kilometers (5.6 square miles), with 75 percent of its terrestrial area inscribed as a Permanent Park Preserve under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention of 1982. Today, the island has a small permanent human population of about 360 people. Mother Nature’s hand has sculpted the spectacular Ball’s Pyramid, situated 23 kilometers (14 miles) to the southeast. A seven-million-year-old spire of serrated stone stands at a height of more than half a kilometer, making it the tallest sea stack of its kind in the world. Lord Howe is a subtropical island, very humid, and although part of Australia, is different from Mainland Australia in numerous ways. Often referred to as the “Galapagos of Australia,” the island’s ecosystem has developed in isolation, with no human habitation until the end of the 18th century. The unique geographic conditions are home to a large number of endemic species, such as the Lord Howe woodhen, one of the world’s rarest endemic birds, and a fascinating population of rare endemic invertebrates. Among the plant life that make this terrestrial environment extraordinary are the 244 native vascular plant species. Almost half of these are only found on Lord Howe Island! Among the trees is the endemic Pandanus forsteri, which can reach up to 20 meters (65 feet) in height. Large numbers of sooty tern, masked boobies, and brown noddy, amongst others, can be seen huddling down in sheltered nooks on the rocky outcrops. Roach Island has become a tourist “must-do,” with day trips to the popular nesting zone becoming a favorite with bird-watching enthusiasts. On Lord Howe Island, there is only one native mammal species, the large forest bat, but offshore, bottlenose dolphins are frequently seen frolicking playfully in the open waters and sometimes even make their way into the sheltered lagoon on the west coast. The waters surrounding Lord Howe Island are renowned for hosting an amazing variety of 490 fish species. More than 80 species of coral provide an amazingly near-pristine environment for the fish to thrive in. Due to the increasing effects of climate change, scientists have observed bleaching in the Lord Howe Island reefs in recent years. All information concerning the scientific evidence of climate change and its solution is in Supreme Master Ching Hai’s Book, “From Crisis to Peace.” Free for download at: Crisis2Peace.org
