A series of photographs have emerged on social media this week, which show the Australian bushlands coming back to life after the devastating wildfires.
The images in question show a number of burnt and blackened trees in the wilderness, their trunks scorched by the flames. However, two local photographers from the Kulnura area of the New South Wales Central Coast managed to spot a number of beautiful budding flowers growing from out of the ruined trees, and snapped some pics of the re-emerging flora.
Photographer Mary Voorwinde, who accompanied Terrigal resident Murray Lowe on the hike, later shared the images to her Facebook page 'Photography by Mary', along with an emotional message.
Mary captioned the pictures: "With all that is lost in nature, there is hope of life again. After a quick trip out to Kulnura today and talking to some of the locals Lee and Mick, who faced the fierce fires before Christmas, it was a humbling experience to visit their property and hear their stories."
She continued:
"They spoke of the brave fire fighters and emergency service personnel who helped them through some of the most scariest times of their lives. Stories of sounds so loud it was deafening, the intensity of heat and the [sheer] power and speed of the fire just incomprehensible."
She added: "Lucky for them their house was saved, but only just. To them this image represents hope. A sign that nature is quickly back at work rebuilding with new growth, as are they."
Take a look at this report on the urgent environmental crisis:If you'd like to make a donation to the human and animal relief efforts, then please consider visiting one of the organizations listed below.
How you can donate:
The NSW Rural Fire Service has multiple options for direct donations. You can donate to the RFS as a whole, or to specific brigades. You can donate through bank transfer, credit card or cheque.
For bank transfers, there is a set bank account (Account Name: NSW Rural Fire Service, BSB: 032-001, Account No: 171051). This account is for the RFS as a whole.
This link will take you to the landing page for credit card donations. You can donate to the RFS general fund or choose specific brigades from the dropdown box.
In Queensland, Fire and Rescue advise that you can donate both money and items through the website givit.org.au. The website allows fire-affected communities to list what they specifically need, from water tanks in Yeppoon to school uniforms in Zillmere.
In Victoria, the Country Fire Authority has two bank accounts - one for specific brigades and one for the general fund.
In South Australia, the Country Fire Service accepts donations through the CFS Foundation. You can donate to them here. You can also leave a bequest.
If you cannot find the particular brigade you are looking for, you can contact them directly.
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