A fire in early January ran through Black Hill Reserve, near Kyneton, Victoria, devastating local bushwalkers and land care groups.
In particular, The Friends of Black Hill have used and maintain the area as a recreational space for decades, maintaining the area’s eight kilometres of track and installing nest boxes for native fauna.
Daryl Kellet, president of The Friends of Black Hill, has been involved since the early 1980s and was working with the CFA the day that bushfire struck.
“When I was coming up the Redesdale Road there was a billowing mass of smoke and flames, Black Hill looked like a volcano erupting,” he said.
Now it’s left to the ageing group of volunteers to seek help from other local organisations in their bid to restore the area, with a planned schedule of works that began on March 1.
Friends of Black Hill have so far announced the works will run in partnership with the Macedon Ranges Shire Council, the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network and the Victorian Mobile Landcare Group, but the call is being raised for other locals to volunteer if available.
The next working bee is due to occur on April 12, with more details available on the Victorian Mobile Landcare website.
Plans are currently being made to work or erosion issues as well as to schedule repair for tracks and replacing damaged nesting boxes (time and resources permitting).
Sandy Scheltema, Upper Campaspe Landcare facilitator says one of the major problems is in finding enough willing and able people to consider assisting the project.
“The next problem to overcome lies in encouraging those people to become regular members of The Friends of Black Hill,” she said. “Their current membership is increasing in average age, and this can make it difficult when physical projects are required in the area.”
Macedon Ranges Shire Council and The Friends Of Black Hill have asked that the general public stay out of the reserve until works have been completed and therefore only volunteers officially affiliated with the restoration will have access in the coming months.
Concerned locals and bushwalkers from across the region are encouraged to support the restoration project wherever possible.