I will be running the Great Ocean Road marathon on 16th May in support of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.

Last summer, Australia was ravaged by the most devastating bushfires this country has ever seen. Over 12 million hectares of land was burnt (roughly 4 x the size of Belgium), 34 lives lost and nearly 3 billion animals were killed, resulting in the largest single loss of wildlife in modern history. 

With a global pandemic upon us, this has understandably become yesterday’s news but, on top of the virus (and recent floods), Australia is still very much recovering from this national tragedy.

As a forest firefighter, I witnessed first-hand the magnitude and devastation of the relentless Black Summer fires - the sense of loss, I will understandably never forget.

Yet, with the worldwide tragedies of 2020-21 continuously mounting, equally as heartbreaking and in need of our global attention, it is critical that the events of last year do not become old news but are remembered by us all. If the fires are to count for anything, let them serve as the impetus for the urgent action we NEED to take to change our current trajectory; a reminder that we are neither separate from, nor superior to, the natural world. 

With Australia already having the worst mammal extinction rate in the world and an ineffective federal environmental protection act, that currently fails the wildlife it claims to protect on all accounts, (https://epbcactreview.environment.gov.au/resources/final-report), the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires have pushed even more precious Aussie wildlife to the edge of extinction. 

AWC work tirelessly all across Australia towards the effective conservation of all Australian wildlife and the habitats in which they live, to help protect biodiversity and turn the tide on this race towards extinction. 

Through:

• conducting the most ambitious rewilding/re-introduction program in Australia’s history; 
• targeted monitoring and surveys, that shape and inform policy and the national conservation effort to help future-proof against these kinds of events going forward; 
• assisting Indigenous rangers to conduct fire management programs on an epic scale to help reduce the risk of future wildfires, while allowing species that need fire, to thrive
• working in collaboration with a multitude of other organisations both during and after the fires to save species at huge risk

AWC's on-ground efforts are immense and vital. 

Please help AWC continue this crucial work. I understand times are tight for a lot of people so giving this a share would be just as appreciated:) I would be insanely grateful for anything you can spare.

Thank you very much!:)

(Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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