Bushfires in Australia are a significant feature of our landscape, and here in the Hawkesbury, we have many communities living in and around the bush.

The Black Summer fires throughout the East Coast in 2019/20 had a huge, destructive impact on communities and wildlife. It raised the urgent question of how we can more effectively protect ourselves, or at least better manage the risk from those intense firestorms.

But fire in the landscape is also a feature of ecological restoration and renewal. Many ecological communities are adapted to fire, and many plant species need fire to germinate. Since ancient times, Aboriginal communities have used fire for care of country, for the restoration and renewal of the landscapes they live in.

As both community members and as people who are passionate about the bush, how can we most effectively manage fire in the landscape, and how can we get better ecological outcomes from our fire management regimes?

On this episode of the Hawkesbury Eco Hour, we have the opportunity to chat with Lucy Tremaine, the Bushfire Program Coordinator at the Nature Conservation Council, a NSW environment organisation that has over 200 member groups, one of which is the Hawkesbury Environment Network.

Episode Links

• Nature Conservation Council of NSW Bushfire Program https://www.nature.org.au/bushfire_program

• Fire and Restoration Network https://fireandrestoration.org.au/

• Hot Spots Fire Project https://www.hotspotsfireproject.org.au/

• CFA Landscaping for Bushfire https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/447/CFA%20Landscaping%20for%20Bushfire%20(Version%203).pdf

• Hawkesbury Environment Network https://hen.org.au/

• Contact the Hawkesbury Eco Hour Podcast podcast@hen.org.au