Returning to the bush

The following blog post is part of this exercise, however, the article has been written for the blog on my chosen web site (G Online).

Helping life return to the Yarra Ranges after bushfire

 

Clearing Cumberland Walk. Photo by C Eaw, used with permission.

 

Bushfire recovery

Two weekends ago, I volunteered for Bushwalking Victoria’s bushfire recovery effort in the Yarra Ranges, east of Melbourne.

About 38% of Yarra Ranges National Park burned in February’s bushfires. Our task in the Yarra Ranges for the weekend was to clear bushwalking tracks to make them safe for people again. This meant removing logs, pruning branches, and casting away any twigs or bark that might trip up a person.

People can be in danger in the bush even after a bushfire has passed. Limbs can fall without warning, and tracks can become heavily eroded.

The track we worked on was no exception. That weekend, as I stood on an exposed section of Cumberland Walk—a once beautiful rainforest walk, now burnt, that takes visitors through roughly 4 km of Myrtle Beech forest—charred timber crumbled beneath my boots. The wind roared and tree limbs creaked, threatening to fall at any time. Imagining how frightening the place would have been in a fire wasn’t difficult.

After a fire, it takes time for people to return to the bush. Bushwalking Victoria’s ultimate goal was to make the Yarra Ranges accessible to walkers once more, and engage the community in a positive way post-bushfires.

War against trees

The crumbling track on Cumberland Walk. Photo by C Eaw, used with permission.

One negative result of the bushfires—among the many—is that people have turned against trees. In a way, it’s understandable; when a bushfire is raging, people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake. But is the answer to destroy already depleted vegetation?

Trees are home to wildlife that are already suffering from rapidly increasing urban encroachment. To clear yet more land would be disasterous for wildlife; not to mention, for people—experts argue that trees can mitigate bushfire by reducing windspeed. In this way, actually, trees can help protect homes.

Consequently, conservationists and people whose homes are at risk from bushfires needn’t be at loggerheads. Yet there seems to be a local dilemma that reflects a global predicament; can humans and wildlife co-exist?

Regardless, Bushwalking Victoria’s bushfire recovery effort aims to encourage people to return to the bush. And, the more people spend time in the bush, the more people grow to love it and consider it to be valuable to both humans and animals alike.

You can help

To get involved with Bushwalking Victoria’s conservation activities, contact Bushwalking Victoria directly.