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Restoring Dundurrabin: A week in the rainforest

The Dundurrabin Project is funded by Boral, the National Bushfire Recovery Partner of CVA. 

Rosemary Yates has held a piece of paradise in Dundurrabin, Northern NSW, for more than 25 years now. With nearly 30 threatened or vulnerable species of plants and animals living on the land she also calls home, her property has been a hive of activity with professional ecologists and universities holding surveys over that time. 

After last summer’s devastating bushfire tore through the property, Rosemary needed assistance with replanting & revegetating the rainforest in her backyard. With the help of CVA staff and volunteers over five days, Rosemary and the team got their hands dirty in the hope of leaving a healthy legacy in the landscape for future generations of ecosystems. 

For Rosemary, this was the first opportunity she had had to work with the CVA team. And what a team it was. Across five days, in a tucked away part of the world, a small covid-safe gathering of CVA volunteers came together (alongside a handful of Alice’s friends) to weed the area, dig holes, re-plant new vegetation and ultimately learn from each other the importance of caring for the world we live in. 

Rosemary said he would like to thank everyone who joined her over the week, emphasizing the volunteers were absolutely wonderful. 

“The CVA leaders were also so kind, hardworking considerate and capable, an absolute pleasure to work with.  The friends who volunteered had a great time, out in the forest planting, laughing and telling stories, a great community event.

Some friends who came to help are ecologists and enriched our understanding of ecology.  An extraordinary week was had by all, thank you to the CVA for your support and blessings on your work.  The earth needs all the help it can get right now, and honestly what better way to spend time and energy, forest regeneration for all the dependent species.”

Peta and Grega, two volunteers on the Dundurrabin project both said their highlight of the week, apart from being shown luminescent mushrooms, was the knowledge and stories that were shared between everyone – and that the common goal of restoring nature that bonded the team. 

Grega in particular hadn’t personally come from an environmental background, being mostly city-based, and says being involved as a volunteer over the week expanded her awareness of the natural world around her. 

“It changed my perspective, my thinking, and gained huge respect towards Mother Earth. Further, it sparked something inside me to broaden my knowledge, to learn more about it.” 

Would you like to be involved with projects like this one? Check out our volunteer opportunities here!