Welcome to the May edition of the Hotspots News Online.

The Nature conservation Council of NSW (NCC), the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and all the Hotspots Fire Project partners wish to convey condolences to all those impacted by the devastating bush fires of last spring and summer. Our thoughts are with you as your focus turns to recovery while also coping with the impact of the Coronavirus (Covid19) pandemic. The impacts of the recent fires have not only caused widespread damage to property, but also to the fauna and flora of NSW. 

The NSW and Australian Governments, as well as fundraising by individuals and organisations, is providing some support to help landholders in their recovery efforts. The Hotspots team will be providing what support they can in directing you to these sources or applying for support on your behalf. Some of the ecological recovery actions that may be funded include erosion control, weed management, re-planting, pest animal control, supplementary habitat such as nest boxes, ecological surveys and updating of your Hotspots Fire Management Plan.

Hotspots has previously engaged:

• Over 140 workshop areas, 2,618 landholders, 1,377 fire management plans, covering 268,059 ha.
• Indicative GIS analysis shows that almost half of workshop areas were impacted by fire in the summer of 2019-2020.
• This equates to potentially over 100,000 ha and over 1000 Hotspots participants impacted.

Many Hotspots communities have shown great strength and resilience in dealing with these recent fires and the Hotspot team thought you may like to apply for the Resilient Australia Awards 2020. To learn more click here. 

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Articles in this edition:

1. Fire season update 2019-20
2. Gumma, Tingha and Tathra workshop updates
3. Managing Land Post-fire: fact sheet
4. Protecting Our Hollows: fact sheet
5. Bush Fire Facts: training videos
6. Large Forest Owls and Nest Box Projects
7. Flames in the Rainforests: webinar
8. NCC Fire and Restoration Network Hub
9. Useful links and apps

To find out more about Hotspots workshops and to register, click here or in the Hotspots workshops article below.

Kind regards,                                                                                                             
The Hotspots Team

The 2019–2020 bush fire season was the most widespread and extreme bush fire disaster that Australia has experienced. Large and destructive bushfires occurred in most states and territories. In New South Wales, since 1 July 2019, 11,264 bush & grass fires burnt 5.49 million hectares which equates to 6.8% of the State. Read more...

After an unprecedented fire season the Hotspots team is more committed than ever to spreading the Hotspots knowledge across the state. Before the fire season there were workshops delivered up north near Gumma and down south with Tathra, while workshops have been placed on hold for a range of communities due to COVID-19 and the fires, there are plans to develop online content and support other communities with post-fire recovery. Read more...

Managing a landscape post-fire comes with many unique challenges.This Hotspots fact sheet is designed to give you a brief overview of some of those challenges and actions you can take to mitigate them. Read more...

 

The Hotspots team has developed a fact sheet on the value of hollows, providing five steps that landholders can take to help protect these important natural assets. Read more...

NSW RFS has produced a series of ‘Bush Fire Facts’ videos for landholders to help them prepare before a fire and a new Bush Fire Survival plan tailored for farmers. Read more...

Since the fire season, NCC’s Large Forest Owls Project has been busy returning acoustic recorders (song meters) to properties across the Richmond-Clarence Lowlands, while the new Nest Box Fundraising Project received an overwhelming response, allowing over 300 nest boxes to be purchased for the same project area. Read more...

NCC’s Bushfire Program is hosting a free 1-hour webinar, Flames in the Rainforests: bushfire impacts and restoration in northern NSW. Read more...

The Fire and Restoration site looks at a report by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub on how to respond to the bushfire crisis, the role of fungi in ecological recovery, building a fire-safe garden and a Hotspots ecologist is interviewed about the impacts on remnant Gondwanian rainforests. Read more...

Check out the updated list of resources including tools, databases, and applications you may find useful. Read more...