After the Fires
Bush Fire Recovery Projects and Citizen Science
With the summer now over and the threat of bush-fires largely passed, there is now opportunity for the community to take action in assisting the landscape to recovery. There has never been a greater need, nor has there ever been a greater response from the community. You're all amazing and passionate and most of all...patient! Allowing our land managers to assess the impacts of fires and then prioritising what needs to be done for recovery and rehabilitation takes time.
There are areas of the ACT and NSW that are opened again to the public and there are some practical things you can do to help with bushfire recovery. More information on these opportunities is provided below.
Please don't hesitate to contact us at MCG if you would like to get involved or provide us with more information on other community initiatives after the fires.
iNaturalist Environment Recovery Project with UNSW and the Centre for Ecosystem Science
As a citizen scientist, your observations from recently burnt areas are important. Providing it's safe to do so, take a walk in areas of burnt bushland, and upload observations to the Environment Recovery Project. We are also interested in common species just as much as rare species.
- Plants (native and weeds): Seedling or resprout
- Animals (natives and ferals): Alive or dead, tracks and scats
- Fungi and Lichen
- Landscapes: Scorch height (how high the fires went) and the amount of leaves burnt in the canopy, shrubs, and ground cover.
Learn more about this project and sign up by following this link:
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/projects/environment-recovery-project-australian-bushfires-2019-2020
Volunteer with New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service and Save our Species Program
Volunteers can register their interest to assist NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and help the Saving our Species program to rehabilitate and protect our threatened animals and plants.
Details of how and when you can contribute to the recovery process will be provided after you register, and following the extensive assessment, research and logistical planning needed for the recovery activities.
Learn more about this project and sign up by following this link:
Register for on-ground Bush-fire Recovery efforts in Namadgi
The Orroral Valley Fire in and around Namadgi National Park on Ngunawal Country has been devastating for biodiversity, land and those of us who care deeply about our bush. We know the caring Canberra community will want to step up to help recover what we have lost. As members of the Canberra community, and carers for the environment. Along with our peak Landcare body, Landcare ACT, Southern ACT Catchment Group will be exploring avenues for volunteering towards the recovery of Namadgi's vegetation and biodiversity in 2020.
Register here if you are interested in being part of the volunteer effort in the coming months:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfyqqYW0zMivJqLk0dhYrUu3ZXW1zeoJTjC5WGfBHZjn1T7fA/viewform?fbclid=IwAR19Nr1o5NGqj3TIgANPt-5Lq4LnWdvYkSt1mIOHVVDZOmvtcbnEDAfTdLk
Southern ACT Catchment Group will contact you when we receive further information in regards to bushfire recovery, working bees or other support actions we can take together.
Join your local landcare group and help create a resilient landscape
Your response to this summer doesn't need to be in a fire-affected landscape. Helping out in your local reserve or urban park is critical in creating landscape resilience. Joining your local group will give you access to the tools and collective wisdom to make positive, long term difference. The best place to find out how to volunteer by looking at your Landcare Gateway website for either NSW or the ACT, or reply to this email with your location and a request for more information.