The ReForest Now bushfire response planted 2000 trees on behalf of Santos Organics
The 2019-2020 fires in Australia were devastating for communities and ecosystems across Australia. Ecologically, in our local region of Northern NSW the fires damaged parts of the remnant Big Scrub rainforest and old growth rainforest including areas of Wilsons Creek, Wanganui, Nightcap National Park, Mount Jerusalem National Park, Huonbrook, Mebbin National Park and Terragon.
Here, the critically endangered lowland subtropical rainforest remnants and old growth forest contain important and significant habitats for the in-situ conservation of biological diversity, 122 endangered or critically endangered species. This expanse of subtropical rainforest is already 1% of its former size and faces ongoing threats from a changed climate. The fires damaged and destroyed ecologically invaluable forests.
Reforest Now's vision is to see this region as Australia’s largest expanse of subtropical rainforest once again and we do this by regenerating bushland and reforesting cleared land. After the fires our vision is amplified and our crew is stronger and readier than ever to reforest and regenerate.
The Reforest Now's response to the fires in our planting region is two fold:
- Reforest sites directly affected by clearing the rapid spread of invasive species that emerge after fires and plant native trees where they once stood, and
- Plant alongside existing vegetation to increase its buffering potential as it acts as a wet rainforest buffer preventing the spread of fires onto drier areas of forest.
Santos Organics was fast to respond to the ecological devastation with the 2020 grant focusing on bushfire recovery. Reforest Now was awarded $10,000 for the planting of 2000 trees in Wanganui and we are proud to report on the completion of this project.
Thank you to Santos Organics for their fast and effective response that is helping the rainforest and the species within it. We are proud to plant on behalf of Santos Organics and look forward to continued collaborations in the future.