The Institute is pleased to share a new video, explaining the bushfire monitoring and recovery efforts we are undertaking in 2020 and calling out for citizen scientists to join us.
The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is a million hectares of awe-inspiring wilderness, recognised globally for its sandstone cliffs, canyons, waterfalls, eucalypt forests and Indigenous rock art.
The ecosystems of the Blue Mountains provide clean air and water to the Greater Sydney region while supporting an exceptional measure of biodiversity, including a number of endangered species and rare plants like the ancient Wollemi pine that exists nowhere else on earth.
In late 2019, after a long period of drought, Australia was beset by catastrophic wildfires, including several megafires that burnt through over 80% (800,000 hectares) of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. In early 2020, the fires were followed by heavy storms and floods that caused yet more damage, further endangering flora and fauna. The full extent of the damage to plants and animals is yet to be quantified. There are legitimate concerns for wildlife, and action is still underway to rescue and treat endangered animals.
But there is also hope in what we do know.
The fires did not burn with the same intensity across the region. So in many fire affected areas, the canopy was saved, providing a refuge for endangered wildlife. The ancient Wollemi pines were also saved by the deft and heroic actions of our Fire and Rescue services. And by mid February 2020, the heavy rainfall that followed the fires, did help contain and eventually extinguish the fires.
What needs to be done to help the world heritage area recover?
Climate change, which intensified the drought that created the conditions for these catastrophic fires, is still occurring. We must adapt and learn to manage the effects of climate change. We can do this firstly by monitoring the impact of these fires, particularly on endangered species and vulnerable ecological systems, such as our precious upland swamps, and documenting nature’s recovery process.
What can you do to help?
Get involved in monitoring and recovery efforts. If you would like to help this important work, please join our citizen science ecological monitoring program, and help us document changes, movements and and impacts on Blue Mountains flora and fauna.Local teams already meet regularly in Blackheath, Katoomba and Wentworth Falls, with new monitoring zones being established in Lawson and Springwood. Please join our growing community of citizen scientists, and help us better understand and conserve this remarkable world heritage area.