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Hotspots Workshops Update June 2021
Monday, 28th June 2021
After running an online workshop series with the Black Range community in late 2020, the Hotspots Fire Project team returned to face-to-face workshops across the state adapting to a range of Covid-safe measures. Two full workshop series were delivered in the Orara Valley with the Coffs Harbour City Council and in the Southern Highlands at Canyonleigh with the Wingecarribbee Shire Council supporting the landholder actions within the Great Western Wildlife Corridor.
Hotspots has also supported a joint School Nest Box project with children at Lowanna, Ulong, Karangi, Orara and Baryulgil Public Schools and supporting NCC’s Large Forest Owls Project’s southern area café workshop (see the "Large Forest Owls Project wrap-up" article for more details).
After a successful introductory session with Nana Glen community in the Orara Valley in December 2020, RFS facilitator Jamie Bertram and NCC ecologist Kevin Taylor delivered a workshop series at the Nana Glen Hall in May 2021 in collaboration with the Coffs Harbour City Council’s Bushfire Recovery program. There were 21 participants, with Local Land Services representatives offering potential post-fire weed management funding. A mental health representative was also present to support those affected by the Liberation Trail fire. Unfortunately, due to wet weather during the second workshop the demonstration burn could not be carried out, but there are plans to bring the community back together to gain this experience later in the year.
In June, NCC ecologists Hannah Etchells and Kevin Taylor delivered a workshop series with Wingecarribee Shire Council and RFS Hotspot facilitator Bruce Hansen that focused on the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, which links the Blue Mountains and Morton National Park in the Southern Highlands.
This was the third workshop series delivered in partnership with Wingecarribee Shire Council and was supported by the Land for Wildlife Program in association with their Koala Conservation Project. The Country Women’s Association provided lunch and agencies including National Parks and Wildlife Service and Forestry NSW made presentations. It was the first workshop for new NCC Hotspots ecologist Hannah Etchells, who the Canyonleigh community warmly welcomed. Learn more about Hannah in the "Welcome to the Team!" article.