Stories From: Bushfire

Shaun Watson is the NSW Chair of Doctors for the Environment Australia. At his home-away-from-home in the Kanimbla Valley, he talks about his motivation to fight for the planet, the health impacts of fossil fuels and simple things we can do to make a difference.

Bill Dixon has cultivated a rainforest garden on a ridge in South Springwood. He talks about how growing rainforest species can be an adaptive response to local climate conditions.

Volunteering offers mutual benefits for the helper and those helped. Along with a sense of empowerment, purpose and contribution, it can give us skills for the workforce, new friends and social connection. While this list is by no means exhaustive, it offers a wide range of options for where to help out in our local community.

'Middle Earth' is a remarkable off-grid paradise in the Kanimbla Valley, created over many decades by Hans and Tillie Coster. What was once a degraded grazing property has been regenerated, with its underground 'Hobbit Hall' built to survive all weather extremes.

The Forged by Fire Festival was not the ‘usual’ Bushfire recovery or resilience event. Instead of focusing on consequences of fire, the Lithgow City Council event focused on human relationships with fire. Tracie McMahon ran a storytelling booth at the event, asking, what does ‘Forged by Fire’ mean to you? The answers were surprising, uplifting and sobering.

The first Blue Mountains Planetary Health Day was held on 24 February 2024 in Katoomba, and was a huge success with an estimated 600 attendees. With the goal of equipping people with the knowledge and resources to achieve their sustainability goals, the day featured workshops, stalls, activities and much more.

As we face predictions of increasing natural disasters due to climate change, past events show that community-led recovery and preparedness is key to building resilience. Belle Butler talked with Kris Newton of Mountains Community Resource Network about how she prepares to reduce her own risk of disaster, and about MCRN's pilot project Resilient Villages, which aims to equip communities with the skills and tools they need to take control of their own destiny.

A trip to Newnes is unforgettable - from the locked gate ensuring safe egress down the newly constructed Donkey Steps to the extraordinary views and sounds of a landscape recovering from fire and flood.

The community-driven post-fire recovery of Bell, Clarence and Dargan is extraordinary. Its success goes against what was believed to be possible. Find out how they did it here.

Marianne Bate is passionate about the bush, fascinated by people and ‘relentlessly positive’ about how we can better care for the land we live on. Meet Marianne, and discover the difference Bushcare and Landcare make to people and places in this piece by Hamish Dunlop.