Bushfire Recovery Nurseries

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife launches New Bushfire Recovery Nurseries to continue its mission to plant one million trees across Australia

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife (FNPW), the charity partner of Australia’s national parks, has awarded grants to three new bushfire recovery nurseries in New South Wales and South Australia as part of its mission to plant one million trees in bushfire affected regions by 2025.

To date, seven nurseries have been supported by FNPW’s grants in NSW, ACT and SA, with the most recent being Mount Barker District Council (SA), Trees in Newcastle (NSW) and Upper Shoalhaven Land Council (NSW).

FNPW’s grants, supported by One Tree Planted and L’OCCITANE Australia, will expand the capacity of these existing tree nurseries to propagate thousands more native plants for erosion prevention and animal habitats. Seedlings will be established from indigenous tree species in each of the nursery locations and will be planted in national parks across Australia, as well as other public and private lands that have been affected by bushfires.

Grant awardees include:

Mount Barker District Council

In partnership with Hills Biodiversity, the Council will expand its nursery facility and upscale its resources to plant a total of 16,000 additional seedlings to support 35 threatened native species, with a particular focus on SA Blue Gum, Wirilda and Varnish Wattle. These seedlings will contribute to the bushfire recovery efforts in the Mount Lofty to Kangaroo Island Connection and cater for volunteers working on Council projects, with many of the plants grown by Hills Biodiversity and the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning group to be planted on private land.

Trees in Newcastle

Trees In Newcastle (TIN) is a long-established community environmental organisation made up mainly of volunteers. Since 1989, the native plant nursery has been committed to conserving native vegetation, supporting the community with environmental initiatives and offering bush regeneration and consultation services.

Since the bushfires of 2019 – 2020, TIN has been involved with landowners in the Laguna-Wollombi, Port Stephens and Merriwa areas to collect seed, provide planting advice and supply native trees. With the grant provided by FNPW, the Nursery will expand its capacity by an additional 10,000 trees to plant a total of 33,000 native trees. These trees will support the Wollemi NP, Lower and Upper Hunter, Central Coast and Blue Mountains World Heritage Area regions.

The native trees, including the Grey Ironbark, Forest Redgum, Spotted Gum and Black Sheoak, will support threatened species such as the Glossy Black Cockatoo, Powerful Owl, Regent Honeyeater and Koala.

The Upper Shoalhaven Landcare Council (the umbrella organisation for landcare in the Upper Shoalhaven, Upper Deua & Lake George Catchment areas in South East NSW)

Given recent droughts and bushfires, it is an important time to bring the Braidwood and surrounds community together to help collect a local seed bank and propagate more native tubestock. This grant will allow for the launch of a five-year-in-planning community nursery program, with the capacity for 16,000 seedlings across 20 tree species, including Blackwood, Brittle Gum, Ribbon Gum and Snow Gum, as well as threatened species such as the Araluen Gum and the Mongarlowe Mallee.

Mr. Ian Darbyshire, Chief Executive Officer for the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, said:

“These community nurseries play a significant role in restoring our national ecosystem. We are currently working with our government and corporate partners across bushfire affected states around the country to secure more nursery locations so we can sooner achieve our goal of planting one million trees by 2025.”

Yankalilla Community Nursery Plants 25,000 trees 

During 2021 the Yankalilla (Fleurieu Coast) Community Nursery has grown 45,000 trees and has successfully planted 25,000 of the seedlings with the support of its volunteers and partners.

These seedlings have been planted in the Cape Jervis,  Carrickalinga, and Sellicks Cliffs area to support the habitat restoration for the Glossy Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami).

The Glossy Black Cockatoo was once common on the Fleurieu Peninsula, however  are now found only on Kangaroo Island and were heavily impacted by the recent fires which have further reduced the habitat on Kangaroo Island making restoration on the Fleurieu Peninsula even more critical.

Planting these trees is valuable in the recovery of coastal woodlands on the Fleurieu Peninsula as outlined in the Normanville Biodiversity Action Plan. Associated species that will be grown and planted with the Drooping Sheoak include the SA Blue Gum, Dryland Tea Tree, Pink Gum, Mallee Box, SA Coastal Wattle, Coastal Daisy, Twiggy Daisy and Boobiala just to name the main species. The Nursery will also continue focus on propagating local rare species such as the Normanville Wattle, Fragrant Salt Bush, Notable Wattle and many more.

 22 April 2020, Australia: In recognition of Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary, the charity partner for Australia’s National Parks, the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife (FNPW) and global reforestation non-profit, One Tree Planted, have announced a five-year project to plant up to one million trees in Bushfire Recovery Nurseries around Australia.

Given the impact of Australia’s devastating bushfires in 2019/20, the Bushfire Recovery Nurseries will be the first step in significant replanting following the impact of the bushfires on tree species’ in gravely affected areas.

FNPW is currently working with governments and community partners to assess priority areas in NSW, ACT, Victoria and South Australia, with a focus on re-building habitats for affected species’ such as the black glossy cockatoo and koala. Trees from the Bushfire Recovery Nurseries will be planted in national parks across Australia, as well as other public and private lands that have been affected by bushfires.

As part of its five-year commitment, One Tree Planted will donate over a million dollars AUD over the five-year plan, with additional partner funding to be sourced for ongoing work. Seedlings will be established from indigenous tree species in each of the nursery locations. Work will begin as soon as possible, taking into consideration the restrictions of COVID-19, and nursery projects will be scaled up from 2021 onwards as more sites become available.

“The world was deeply impacted by the loss and heartache Australia endured during its most horrific bushfire season. This partnership with FNPW in Australia is critical in restoring wildlife habitats, assisting the growth of native vegetation, and generally protecting the world’s biodiversity. It’s an essential intervention for Australia’s future and we will do everything we can to help,” said Diana Chaplin, Canopy Director for One Tree Planted.

FNPW will begin work in South Australia using the Community Nursery model, run by local volunteers to propagate native and indigenous plants for landscaping, erosion prevention and providing animal habitat. Locations are being identified, with a focus on extending the capacity of existing nurseries where possible. Additional tube stock will help cater for the bushfire recovery tree species needed for government and council revegetation projects.

David Speirs, Minister for Environment and Water, South Australia said: “We are grateful to work with our long-term partner, the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife on a crucial project to help rebuild what we have lost as a result of the devastating bushfires. This is an important step towards bushfire recovery and will pave the way for conservation projects in the future.”

Since 2015, FNPW has worked on its initiative “Plant a Tree For Me’ in response to the progressively degrading environment. FNPW’s proven expertise will be an essential part in aiding the recovery project over the coming years.

“The Bushfire Recovery Nurseries are an important step towards immediate bushfire recovery. Whilst we cannot ensure tree growth in bushfire affected areas right now due to restricted access and the severity of fires, we can plan towards the future when we will be able to plant trees at scale. It’s essential for the regeneration of Australia’s future,” concluded Ian Darbyshire, Chief Executive Officer for the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.

About One Tree Planted

One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their reforestation projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Each project focus is different, and can include forest fire restoration, agroforestry, watershed health, biodiversity, climate, and social impact. Many projects have overlapping objectives, creating a combination of benefits that contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.