There is more love in this world than hatred. More beauty than ugliness. More innocence than guilt. With this in mind, a First Nations Yuin Elder decided to lead the restoration of trees and plants in areas devastated by Australia’s massive bushfires last summer.
“To care for our primary Mother that births all we need to survive and be nourished – this responsibility belongs to all people,” says Uncle Max, as he is respectfully known.
From September 2019 to March 2020, the country was hit by catastrophic wildfires, devastating the land and its ecosystems. The flames burned an estimated 46 million acres, destroyed more than 5,900 buildings and killed 34 people. Nearly three billion terrestrial vertebrates – the vast majority being reptiles – were affected and some endangered species are now extinct.
Amrita Australia is sponsoring a project to help restore trees and plants in places that were most severely hit. The bushfire healing project was initiated by Traditonal Cultural Practices (TCP), an NGO dedicated to ensuring that traditional cultural practices and knowledge from the First Nations people of Australia are respected, supported and continue to evolve.
So far, volunteers have planted more than 5,000 trees and understory flora in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.
Find out more about Amrita Australia’s Bushfire Healing Initative.
