Nature springs back to life after bushfire devastation
Less than eight weeks after bushfires tore through East Gippsland, the first signs of nature’s recovery are beginning to show and locals are amazed.
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Green tinges of life in fire-ravaged East Gippsland are bringing much needed hope.
Less than eight weeks after bushfires tore through the region, the first signs of nature’s recovery are beginning to show.
Bright green shoots are sprouting from tree limbs burnt black in the fires.
Sarsfield resident Amy Fisher said local people amazed by the green shoots the recent rain had brought.
“We were in a drought for three years with no fresh growth,” Ms Fisher said.
“It’s amazing to see green coming through, it’s everywhere — it’s magnificent,”
She said her first drive through the blackened landscape after evacuating was a shock.
“I didn’t believe I’d come home to anything, then I saw my house,” she said. “The fire itself was a monster, there is no other way to explain it.
“Recovery is slow, but if anyone is able to lend a hand and stay for a pub meal it will make a world of difference.
“Businesses need customers, it’s good for people to come to the area.”
Ms Fisher lives not far from Howards Rd, where the Calvert family has been enjoying the new signs of life.
Business owners across the region have suffered devastating loss of income, along with tourism providers fearing visitors would keep their distance from the area for the remainder of the summer.
Gippsland East MP Tim Bull said there was a lot of rebuilding to be done, and tourists played a key role in the recovery.
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“Our businesses have come off three years of drought and then copped this whack” he said of the effect of fires on tourism.
“For those who want to help, the best thing you can do is come visit us this summer.
“We can rebuild the houses, the fences and the bridges, but we need to rebuild the economy too. We need Victorians’ help to do that.”