fire and recoveryKerri-Lee Harrisgallery batch 1

Three weeks on

fire and recoveryKerri-Lee Harrisgallery batch 1
Three weeks on

It is now three weeks since the fire swept through the forest. Each day we awaken to the bare and blackened trees and ash-covered soil, reminding us that this was not just a bad dream. Yet every day we find another reason to rejoice. Green shoots and germinating seeds. Emerging insects and night-active spiders. And a growing list of birds taking advantage of the fresh water on offer.

The gallery below is simply a celebration. No analysis, no research, no detailed species identification. Just the many little things that lift our spirits as our lives gradually return to normal.

FIRE 2020
Forest vegetation - another year on
Paul Whitington
Forest vegetation - another year on
Paul Whitington

Another year on since the fire, the forest has continued to recover. It now looks quite different to before the fire. Has it changed for good? Or will it return to its previous state?

Paul Whitington
Ready for Spring
Kerri-Lee Harris
Ready for Spring
Kerri-Lee Harris

Winter temperatures still, but the forest is clearly ready for the Spring transformation.

Kerri-Lee Harris
The forest: five seasons on
Paul Whitington
The forest: five seasons on
Paul Whitington

The forest has undergone an extraordinary renewal - which is ongoing - following the devastating bushfire in January 2020.

Paul Whitington
Moths - a year on
Paul Whitington
Moths - a year on
Paul Whitington

Ecosystem recovery as seen with moth eyes

Paul Whitington
Moths: a post-fire stocktake
Paul Whitington
Moths: a post-fire stocktake
Paul Whitington

A summary of post-fire recovery of our forest moths - a good proxy for ecosystem health

Paul Whitington
Habitat for small birds
Kerri-Lee Harris
Habitat for small birds
Kerri-Lee Harris

Fairy-wrens are settling in to breed, taking advantage of spiky dead vegetation.

Kerri-Lee Harris
Healthy soil life
Kerri-Lee Harris
Healthy soil life
Kerri-Lee Harris

Soil biodiversity is a good indicator of forest health. The signs are all good!

Kerri-Lee Harris
Grass Tree sea
Kerri-Lee Harris
Grass Tree sea
Kerri-Lee Harris

We anticipate an extraordinary display of Xanthorrhoea flowers this Summer. Fire promotes flowering of these iconic plants. In preparation, I’ve been seeking to learn more about our local species.

Kerri-Lee Harris
Emerging Ghosts
Paul Whitington
Emerging Ghosts
Paul Whitington

Ghost moth larvae took refuge deep in the soil as the fire swept through the forest, to emerge as adults 5 months later.

Paul Whitington
A nascent ecosystem - epicormic eucalypt growth
Paul Whitington
A nascent ecosystem - epicormic eucalypt growth
Paul Whitington

The strange looking foliage that has appeared on our eucalypt trees since the fire houses a wealth of creatures - an ecosystem in its own right.

Paul Whitington
Restoring ecological webs
Paul Whitington
Restoring ecological webs
Paul Whitington

Piece by piece our forest ecosystem is reassembling. Insects are populating the rapidly regrowing vegetation.

Paul Whitington
Understanding fuzzy trees
Kerri-Lee Harris
Understanding fuzzy trees
Kerri-Lee Harris

Three months on, the epicormic growth is astonishing. I seek to learn more, even as I marvel at a sight I may not see again for many years. Indeed, I rather hope not to.

Kerri-Lee Harris