The bush/wild fire recovery effort

will have to go on for years. It won't be over in my lifetime or, most likely, the lifetime of my niece and nephews. Their children may see a different countryside altogether.
People are going to forget that ongoing help is needed. They are going to forget very quickly. 
I had a meeting yesterday at which this issue was raised. We are determined to try and make the current desire to "do something" last a little longer. 
As some regular readers of this blog already know I volunteer as a Steward in the Handicrafts section of the state's annual Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society Show. This year we are planning on special entry categories around the International Year of Plant Health.  
We made that decision back in October last  year - before the fires devastated so much of the country. Yesterday we talked about how we might do something more to aid the recovery effort, particularly on Kangaroo Island. 

Those red-pink areas on your left in the satellite image are the areas which have been burnt out. Almost the entire world heritage listed Flinders Chase has been wiped out.
This is an ecological disaster. Species have been lost and other species will struggle to survive.
This is why I worked with Liz Lovick to design the Australia Ablaze beanie (available from Liz's "Northern Lace" site or Ravelry) and why a simpler version will be available for sale at the RAHS Show in September. 
But, we need to do a lot more than that so I put forward an idea I have called "Replanting Australia". It means that if you can knit or crochet even at the most basic level you can be involved from anywhere in the world. 
I'll be putting up information on this blog and elsewhere and the RAHS people will be putting up information too on how you can become involved. 
Watch this space please - and when you know think about becoming involved. It is going to take years for these regions to recover.