KI bushfire recovery by

Timeline

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 01:44:56 UTC

-1991 flinders chase fires, 25,000 hectares (CFS, 2023)
-2007 kanagroo island fires, 90,000 hectares, caused by lightning (AIDR, 2020)

-2019-20 kangaroo island fires, 211,474 hectares (tour KI, n.d.)

animals + plants

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 01:53:39 UTC

The fires have displaced bird species forcing them to move to places they don’t usually go.
23 animal species and 31 plant species were impacted by the bushfires, including the dunnart, koala, and glossy black cockatoos which are important species to the island.
Some bird, spider, and other species populations are being replenished on the island using different techniques specific to the animal.
There is evidence of native species surviving the fires such as footprints and sightings on infrared cameras.

Seeds are burned off of trees and bushes but stay intact and accumulate in low areas after it rains, growing abundant foliage such as ferns in the lower areas.

Grass trees are a Kangaroo Island endemic plant that are growing and flowering after the fires. They are dependent on the fires because they don’t flower and create seeds for the next generation without fire.

animals impacted

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 01:54:42 UTC

The feral cat and pig population is being kept low because they are a threat to native species on kangaroo island, being predators.
Some bird, spider, and other species populations are being replenished on the island using different techniques specific to the animal.

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 02:01:39 UTC

Covid had a large impact on businesses in Kangaroo Island and along with the bushfires, this caused many businesses to shut down because they didn’t have enough customers.

These tourist businesses also struggled through the bushfires because less people wanted to go to Kangaroo Island for a holiday because they were scared of the bushfires or thought that there were no tourists attractions running after the fires.

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 02:03:19 UTC

During the 2019–20 bushfires, around 38 per cent of the island was burnt, 83 per cent of that was burnt at high to very high severity

quick fact

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 02:03:43 UTC

90% of the Dunnart and koala habitat was burnt

Kangaroo Island before and after the bushfires:

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 02:08:15 UTC

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 02:08:52 UTC

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 02:10:19 UTC

How did businesses in Kangaroo Island manage to stay open during the bushfires?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 02:13:23 UTC

First, we need to look at the damage done to these businesses by the bushfires. Some businesses were physically damaged because they were burned down (Flinders chase burned down and closed down. cafés closed. Kelly hill caves closed. Cape border closed. Accommodation burned down and attractions such as caravan parks had to close), but many were devastatingly affected in a social and personal way. Many tourist businesses struggled through the bushfires because less people wanted to go to Kangaroo Island for a holiday because they were scared. Covid had a large impact on businesses in Kangaroo Island and along with the bushfires, this caused many businesses to shut down because they didn’t have enough customers.
(Mike, KI senior ranger, 2023)

how are businesses bouncing back?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 02:22:17 UTC

south Australia National parks and Wildlife Services has done so much to help KI bounce back from the bushfires. Rescuing animals, cleaning burnt buildings, Controlling feral cats and pigs, creating access to key sites for visitors on the west end, making sure businesses stay open, making sure the road is accessible with no obstructions such a rubble.

all of this and much more helped many businesses stay open, animals and plant species recover, and Kangaroo Island recover as a whole.

Donations from other areas of South Australia

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-14 02:32:09 UTC

Many organisations from other areas of SA chipped in to help the recovery of KI. This included the donations of not only money, but resources that KI might have lacked.

There was a tremendous amount of Australian Government bushfire recovery funding which included $3 million which was first invested into Kangaroo Island and later, $5 million and a further $700,000 was invested to aid the long-term recovery of kangaroo island. (Australian Government, 2022)

Australia’s fire-fighting and emergency response services were heavily involved in the immediate recovery, devoting their time and resources to stop the fires as soon as possible. (Conservation Volunteers Australia)

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:29:31 UTC

The bushfires gave nature a chance to reset, and many new healthy plants could grow after the old ones burned.

Grass trees

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:36:09 UTC

More abundance in grass trees means more protections for small animals living on Kangaroo Island. This is because their skirts (long drooping leaves) act as a barrier from the extremely high or low temperatures on kangaroo Island.

One downside to grass trees immediately after the fires is that their skirts are left burnt off, no longer providing small animals with shelter and protection from extreme temperatures.

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:42:35 UTC

Mike is a senior park ranger on the west end of Kangaroo Island. He works with national parks and wildlife, does manager coordinating and on-ground work on the weekends. He manages walking trails, camp grounds, and carparks on the west end. He has also been recently helping in the control of weeds and feral animals on Kangaroo Island.

When did you start working on kangaroo island? was it before, during, or after the 2019-2020 bushfires?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:43:53 UTC

"I started working there in 2005, so I was around to see the bushfires and help in the recovery"

What area of Kangaroo Island were you based on, or did you move around to all the affected areas of the island?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:45:23 UTC

"Mainly the west end. I was involved in some larger projects in other areas of the island, but the west end was mostly affected"

Around how many people did you work with during the recovery of the bushfires?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:47:33 UTC

"I was in a team of 5. Most of the department was involved in the recovery, which was 40 or 50 people. My department was dedicated to rescuing animals, cleaning burnt buildings, and controlling feral cats and pigs. So I did a bit of everything"

Were you in a group with any specific goals or focuses?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:51:57 UTC

"My small group was focussed on cleaning up and creating access to key sites for visitors on the west end. Making sure businesses stay open and the roads are accessible with no obstructions such as rubble. I helped to keep some businesses open such as Flinders chase, Kelly hill caves, Cape border, many cafes and accommodation, and attractions such as caravan parks."

Do you think there are parts of the island where the wildlife has been fully rehabilitated? If so, how long did it take?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:54:50 UTC

"Not much study has been done in the past about numbers of wildlife living on KI. threats have been reduced and there are good signs of the Kangaroo Island dunnart and glossy black cockatoo numbers increasing. We are learning more and more about those species throughout the bushfire recovery."

Was there any issue with the number of resources that were available? Were any donated?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:57:59 UTC

"Some wildlife agencies donated resources. The RSPCA assisted in rescuing wildlife. There were donations of money from all over Australia to Kangaroo Island wildlife park. The Australian army helped tremendously with the immediate clean-up from the fires"

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 01:59:32 UTC

"There has never been a bushfire this large on Kangaroo Island before. There were fires in 2007 and the early 90s where a large amount of flinders chase was burnt."

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 02:02:10 UTC

"A new fire management plan is being drafted. This is called the Kangaroo Island fire management plan. More funding is needed for this to be able to be carried out when another large bushfire occurs."

Grass trees

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 02:09:04 UTC

Grass trees are a Kangaroo Island endemic (native/restricted to KI) plant that have been growing and flowering in abundance after the bushfires. They are dependent on the fires because they don't flower and create seeds for the next generation without being burnt.

Tech cat control

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 02:17:53 UTC

Feral cats are a continual threat to native species on Kangaroo Island, becoming more of a threat after the bushfires. This is due to the burnt landscape containing less shrubs and bushes for their pray to hide on, and less obstacles for them while traversing the landscape.

Traditional cat traps work, but they are very tedious because they have to be checked everyday. To make this process more efficient, a wireless trap network technology has been created which means only traps that have been triggered can be checked. This accounts for usually around 20% of the total traps on the west end of KI.
- Paul Jennings, Project Manager Kangaroo Island Dunnart Recovery
-Chantelle Geissler, Feral cat control officer

The Felixer is a brand new technology created to eliminate the feral cat species without and work from humans. This device squirts out a lethal amount of toxin onto the cat's hind leg when it is triggered by the cat's unique body features.
AI technology is included in the Felixers to easily identify feral cats with a camera.

Feral pig eradication project

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 02:44:50 UTC

The Kangaroo Island Feral Pig Eradication Project is a Local Economic Recovery project and is jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments under the National Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

The eradication of feral pigs on the western end of Kangaroo Island is being done by thermally assisted aerial culling, where thermal cameras are deployed from helicopters to seek feral pigs and destroy them humanely and efficiently.
The first half of this program killed 126 feral pigs, which was followed up by a larger program across all of wester Kangaroo Island (215 000 hectares) which killed 243 pigs. The following year, only 25 feral pigs were found and killed, showing a huge reduction in the population.

Phase 1 – Emergency Response

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 02:54:54 UTC

Firstly, $50 million was put towards Kangaroo Island and any possible bushfire recovery for wildlife and habitats that may be needed. $3 million from this was invested towards Kangaroo Island at the beginning of the 2019-2020 bushfires.

- $986,100 went to the protection of unburnt vegetation, and priority animal and plant species that had been burnt.

- $855,000 went to pest animal control (feral cat and pig) and immediate restoration of the glossy black cockatoo habitat.

- $1 million went towards multiple projects prioritising invertebrate species and rare or threatened plant species.

Phase 2 – Resilience and recovery

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 02:59:18 UTC

$5 million was taken out of the $110 million Regional Bushfire Recovery Fund to further help the recovery of fire-affected species and other natural aspects of Kangaroo Island that were affected.

- $3.18 million went to feral cat control, weed control, glossy black cockatoo recovery, and erosion control.

- $1.82 million went towards more feral cat control, ongoing fire management, and more support for threatened plant and animal species.

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-21 03:00:54 UTC

A further $700,000 was invested in the Bushfire Recovery for Wildlife and Habitat Community Grants Program later on.

Hollow tree homes

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-25 00:25:22 UTC

Burnt, hollowed out trees are great homes for insects, birds, and small animals. After the bushfires, these hollow trees are very common and give some species a boost in their recovery from the fires.

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-25 00:26:26 UTC

Some wildflower species are being seen after the bushfires that haven't been seen in over 70 years!

Sheep industry bounce back

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-25 00:32:05 UTC

The Kangaroo Island sheep industry had lost around 10% of their stock from the fires. They have now rebuilt most of their infrastructure such as thousands of kilometres of fencing. The crops and pastures have been resown and regenerated, showing an bright future for the KI sheep industry.

How to prepare for another bushfire. What can YOU do?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-25 00:46:04 UTC

REDUCE, REMOVE, DISPOSE, REPLACE.

Something you can do today to lower the risk of bushfires spreading is creating a fuel break. These are small areas where vegetation is removed or reduced to stop the spread of fire. If you live in a high risk area that is surrounded by dry vegetation, a fuel break around your house could save you from the next bushfire.

There are two types of fuel breaks that can be done without approval. These are standard fuel breaks and Fuel breaks in mallee regions. A standard fuel break is 5 metres wide. Any overhanging foliage or low-to-the-ground shrubs are removed for 5 metres. Usually these run along a fence line which gives you a clear line to go along. Standard fuel breaks should be done in accordance to a bushfire prevention plan.

A fuel break done in a mallee region can be up to 7.5 metres wide, but only remove mallee shrubs (thick, close to the ground). These breaks must be on the borders of land owned by different people and at least 200 metres from another fuel break.

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-25 00:46:50 UTC

How far has Kangaroo Island progressed in its recovery from the 2019-2020 bushfires?

vanessaft630 — 2023-09-28 01:52:51 UTC

All of the information in this padlet proves the progression of Kangaroo Island's recovery from the bushfires. It shows that the progression has been immediate, but also ongoing. It is clear that Kangaroo Island is recovering at a good pace and has progressed largely since the bushfires in terms of nature being rejuvenated, businesses bouncing back, and native wildlife number coming back up.

There are many aspects that needed to be included in this padlet to represent every part of Kangaroo Island's recovery. These aspects are shown by each of the eight main headers. It is not possible to explain Kangaroo Island's progression of recovery under one header because each aspect is unique and detailed.

references

vanessaft630 — 2023-10-25 01:14:29 UTC

Bushfire Recovery & Resilience (n.d.), Conservation Volunteers Australia, accessed 25 October 2023. https://conservationvolunteers.com.au/bushfires/

BUSHFIRES ON KANGAROO ISLAND 2020 (n.d.), Kangaroo Island, accessed 25 October 2023. https://www.tourkangarooisland.com.au/visit/general-information/bushfires-on-kangaroo-island#:~:text=How%20are%20the%20natural%20attractions,process%20can%20be%20seen%20everywhere.

Current fire management plans for South Australian parks (2023), Environment, accessed 25 October 2023. https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/fire-management/fire-science-and-planning/fire-management-plans/current-fire-management-plans

Exceptional Kangaroo Island (18 May 2020) Live from Kangaroo Island: Fire Recovery Update (May 2020) | Exceptional Kangaroo Island [video], Exceptional Kangaroo Island, YouTube, accessed 25 October 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orqyVs4Abk0&ab_channel=ExceptionalKangarooIsland

Hard yacca: grass skirts are a life saver for many animals, but fire and disease threaten their survival (22 August 2023), University of South Australia, accessed 25 October 2023. https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2023/hard-yacca-grass-skirts-are-a-life-saver-for-many-animals-but-fire-and-disease-threaten-their-survival/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CGrass%2Dtree%20resilience%20to%20bushfires,in%20post%2Dbushfire%20environments.%E2%80%9D

How Kangaroo Island recovered from Australia's devastating bush fires and a global pandemic (12 April 2022), The Points Guy, accessed 25 October 2023. https://thepointsguy.com/news/kangaroo-island-bushfire-recovery/

Kangaroo Island before-and-after photos show bushfire destruction as national park reopens (18 February 2020), ABC News, accessed 25 October 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-18/kangaroo-island-bushfires-before-and-after-destruction/11970788

Kangaroo Island (8 August 2022), DCCEEW, accessed 25 October 2023. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/bushfire-recovery/regional-delivery-program/kangaroo-island

Landcare Association of SA (10 November 2022) Landcare-led Bushfire Recovery projects - Kangaroo Island [video], Landcare Association of SA, YouTube, accessed 25 October 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RIeTduXxFs&ab_channel=LandcareAssociationofSA

Laurinavičius R (8 January 2020) ‘19 Then And Now Photos Of Australia Show How Much Damage The Fires Have Already Done’ [blog post], SOCIAL ISSUES, accessed 25 October 2023. https://www.boredpanda.com/australia-bushfires-before-after-photos/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

6 months on: How South Australia’s bushfire-affected wildlife is recovering (17 August 2020), National Parks and Wildlife Services Australia, accessed 25 October 2023. https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/insider-tips/bushfires-6-months-on