The overwhelming devastation of this fire season is hard to fathom. Over 5.2 million hectares of NSW has been impacted by bushfire since July 2019. With so many families, communities and natural areas affected, the damage will be felt for decades to come.
More than a third of our national parks and reserves in NSW have been burnt. Conservative figures place the loss of native animals at well over one billion Australia-wide. Many conservation reserves are changed beyond recognition with large areas of critical wildlife habitat lost.
It’s time for an immediate stocktake of what we have lost and what remains. It is not too late. The future of our wildlife and natural places hinges upon our efforts to regrow and rewild.
Please give generously to regrow and rewild healthy places for plants, animals and people.
The changing climate means we need to adapt and rebuild our relationship with nature. To do this, National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) will demand that governments:
- acknowledge climate change is profoundly affecting the health and resilience of the environment to which our lives are inextricably bound,
- manage natural landscapes in ways that enhance natural processes, protect biodiversity and maximise natural climate solutions, and
- protect human settlements and communities from future disasters through better planning and strategic fire management.
Your financial support will help NPA to employ a dedicated Senior Campaigner – a person with extensive knowledge of the ecological, operational, community and political complexities of fire management. They will ensure members and supporters have access to the best, most up-to-date information about fire. And advocate for:
- protecting the unburnt natural areas, giving remaining wildlife the habitat they need to re-establish their populations,
- dealing with weeds and pests that threaten to kill or out-compete the recovery of native species, and
- ensuring that future hazard reduction is both ecologically and socially sustainable.
Equally important, your support will enable NPA to coordinate a range of volunteer-based activities to regrow and rewild our natural landscapes.
Building on NPA existing expertise in conducting citizen science and community engagement projects, NPA aim to employ a dedicated Project Coordinator to conduct fire recovery projects with volunteers, members and branches. They will provide technical support for field projects across NSW such as:
- identifying suitable areas for native species that were not directly impacted during the 2019-2020 fires,
- surveying the survival and return of native plants and wildlife in burnt areas, and
- implementing habitat enhancements and restoration works to improve the survival of native species and maximise their recovery.
If you are able to volunteer for NPA projects, NPA would love to hear from you. NPA would also appreciate any financial contribution you can make to our efforts as we all come to terms with the devastating impacts of the fires.
Please support NPA to regrow, rewild our natural heritage and provide healthy places for plants, animals and people.
Anne Dickson
President
National Parks Association of NSW
Gary Dunnett
Executive Officer
National Parks Association of NSW