Overview
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The project assists Midcoast property owners directly affected by the Black Summer bushfires to redesign and rebuild their gardens, helping them with their recovery in the present, while also making their gardens, homes and outbuildings more resilient to bushfires in the future.
Through this active engagement with landholders, the project develops, evaluates and disseminates a local community-based approach to recovery and resilience that highlights the role of networking, community connectivity, and garden rebuilding and redesign. |
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Gardens represent a major financial and emotional investment for many people; and for some, their gardens are the basis of their livelihoods. The project will contribute to the region's economic recovery and resilience through increased garden-focused activity and protection of homes and other assets through bushfire-wise gardening.
It will also contribute to environmental resilience (e.g. habitat restoration, conservation of biodiversity) and social resilience (e.g. stronger garden-centred social networks).
It will also contribute to environmental resilience (e.g. habitat restoration, conservation of biodiversity) and social resilience (e.g. stronger garden-centred social networks).
Our approach
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Reaching out to, and working with, affected communities in partnership with existing services
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Aim: to contribute to community connections, social cohesion and positive feedback loops that will benefit the region over the long term
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Providing practical garden redesign support to 16 landowners
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Aim: to provide participants with adaptive learning opportunities that have the potential to contribute to their recovery from the trauma of loss. The work on these properties will in turn provide inspiration for others across the region
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Laying the foundations for fire-wise gardens
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Aim: to contribute to the participating households’ health and wellbeing and, in some cases, to their livelihoods
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Engaging plant nurseries, garden suppliers, landscapers and other technical experts in the project
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Aim: to contribute to economic outcomes as well as to the fostering of garden-centred social networks
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Presenting a workshop series, sharing learnings, and disseminating resources developed within the context of the project through our communication channels, with our stakeholders, and with other communities at risk of bushfires
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Aim: to contribute to adaptive learning
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Specifications
The project coordinates its activities with current local initiatives, such as the Midcoast Bushfire Recovery Reference Group, the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program, and Midcoast Outreach.
The project links the participating households to supportive networks and businesses, including community services, plant nurseries, garden suppliers and others.
The project has a strong focus on dissemination so as to leave a long-term legacy for all bushfire-prone communities in the MidCoast LGA and beyond. Methods include public outreach, video-documented garden redesigns, workshops, our website and social media, and production of project reports.
The project links the participating households to supportive networks and businesses, including community services, plant nurseries, garden suppliers and others.
The project has a strong focus on dissemination so as to leave a long-term legacy for all bushfire-prone communities in the MidCoast LGA and beyond. Methods include public outreach, video-documented garden redesigns, workshops, our website and social media, and production of project reports.
Project activities and outputs
Project governance, management and administration, and its associated relationship building, contracts/MoUs, and reporting
Community engagement and consultation, including establishment of connections among property owners and agencies and businesses that can provide discounted plants and gardening supplies
Providing practical garden redesign support to 16 landowners, with the involvement of a fire wise landscaping expert, local community organisations, and case manager
Videos drawing on the work carried out with the 16 landowners
Workshop series or virtual gardening tours
Public outreach, MGN Website, MGN Social media - outputs include website and social media entries related to the project and its themes, media exposure, a Webinar series, and a marketing campaign with nurseries
Fact-finding outputs include a resource hub for fire wise plants, fire wise garden factsheets, literature review, pre- and post-intervention survey and the project's final and evaluation report
Community engagement and consultation, including establishment of connections among property owners and agencies and businesses that can provide discounted plants and gardening supplies
Providing practical garden redesign support to 16 landowners, with the involvement of a fire wise landscaping expert, local community organisations, and case manager
Videos drawing on the work carried out with the 16 landowners
Workshop series or virtual gardening tours
Public outreach, MGN Website, MGN Social media - outputs include website and social media entries related to the project and its themes, media exposure, a Webinar series, and a marketing campaign with nurseries
Fact-finding outputs include a resource hub for fire wise plants, fire wise garden factsheets, literature review, pre- and post-intervention survey and the project's final and evaluation report
Outcomes
- An applied framework for garden-focused bushfire recovery and resilience-building that can be used in other contexts
- An increase in MidCoast gardens that are designed on bushfire wise principles, together with the tools and resources to develop these further in coming years
- Improved confidence, quality of life, and mental and physical health for MidCoast gardeners affected by the Black Summer bushfires
- Stronger community connections and more informed growers
- A contribution to the region's economic recovery through increased garden-focused activity, and protection - through bushfire wise gardening - of homes and other assets.
