Working to restore our bush capital will require help from the whole community. There are many ways that you can help play a role in bushfire recovery.
The ACT Government is working closely with a wide variety of community groups to engage volunteers in hands-on-action to relieve some of the impacts on wildlife, support natural regeneration of the landscape, and protect water quality.
These groups are full of highly caring and generous people who’re passionate about our parks and reserves and give their precious time and energy to protect them.
Find out more and watch their websites for opportunities to get involved in recovery effort in the weeks and months to come.
Organisations
ParkCare
ParkCare is managed by ACT Government but considered a 'community' group since community engagement is its core function. Join ParkCare to be notified of volunteering opportunities as they arise. Volunteers can select projects based on their personal interests and circumstances.
National Parks Association of the ACT
ACT NPA are a ParkCare Group who have decades of experience in regenerating natural areas, including fire-affected areas. Specifically, their experience includes bog restoration, erosion control, monitoring of wildlife and vegetation, weeding, planting, mapping, fencing and track rehabilitation.
Gudgenby Bush Regeneration Group (GBRG)
GBRG are a ParkCare group that were established in 1998 to provide for community involvement in the rehabilitation of the former Boboyan Pines plantation Namadgi’s the Gudgenby Valley in Namadgi. The group regularly hold work parties to manage weeds, monitor for feral animals, undertake erosion control, and other environment restoration activities.
Friends of Tidbinbilla
Friends of Tidbinbilla are a ParkCare group who help to protect our natural and cultural environment at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Some of their activities include weed control, track maintenance, erosion control, faunal surveys, maintenance of heritage sites and more.
Kosciuszko Huts Association (KHA)
KHA formed in 1971 to assist with the conservation, management and reconstruction of huts, homesteads and surrounds within Kosciuszko National Park (KNP) in southern NSW and later the ACT.
Landcare ACT
An umbrella group who help support and promote the over 60 community groups who help look after urban parklands, countryside, nature reserves and waterways. Landcare ACT has linkages to the National Landcare Network and resources have been provided through the national network to engage volunteers in fire recovery.
Canberra Orchid Society
Canberra Orchid Society carry out Orchid surveys and other associated activities and are particularly interested in the response of Orchids to fire.
Greening Australia
Greening Australia are a national group who work to protect and restore Australia unique landscapes. Following the 2020 bushfire season, Greening Australia have focussed efforts on looking into what revegetation activities are required to remediate fire-affected areas nationally.
Friends of Grasslands (FOG)
FOG look to conserve grasslands through hands-on projects, working parties, advocacy and education work. Members of the Friends of Grasslands have a high level of expertise in grassland ecosystems preservation and management.
Waterwatch
Waterwatch is a network of volunteers who undertake regular water quality monitoring activities. The data collected culminates into the CHiP Report (Catchment Health Indicator Program) which, every 2 years, provides a snapshot of the water quality of the ACT sub-catchments.
Kosciuszko 2 Coast (K2C)
K2C comprises fourteen partners working together to deliver better natural resource management and environment services to landowners and managers, landcare groups, and the community. They operate across NSW and the ACT.
Conservation Council
The Conservation Council is an advocacy and community engagement group working to protect the environment of the Canberra region for future generations.
Canberra Ornithologists Group (COG)
COG is a group of keen bird watchers and carry out a number of bird monitoring programs to better understand bird populations across the ACT.
ACT Wildlife
ACT Wildlife are a volunteer wildlife carers group. Whilst ACT Wildlife are not directly involved with on-ground fire recovery, they care for animals that are fire affected.
Other ways to help
Become a citizen scientist
NatureMapr
Information is vital to understanding how our landscape is recovering after the fires. You can become a citizen-scientist and help collect this information across fire-impacted areas in Namadgi, Tidbinbilla and Beard by logging photos and location details of your plant and animal sightings (including weeds and feral animals) on NatureMapr.
This information will help experts to make decisions on how we best respond to the bushfires and floods.
Frogwatch
Frogwatch is a citizen science program to monitor frogs. Apart from regular frog monitoring, there is a census each year which provides comparable data.
Do your bit to keep our landscape healthy
When exploring our parks and reserves, remember to 'leave no trace' and respect our natural environment.
This means:
- taking your waste with you
- leaving what you find
- sticking to tracks and trails
- respecting plants and wildlife
- being considerate to heritage sites
- cleaning footwear, cars and bikes to prevent pests and weeds from hitching a ride into our parks.
These may seem like small tasks, but if we all do our bit and remember these tips, we will see the health of our parks and the many plants and animals that live in them thrive.