This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s bushfire tragedy. Explore the project here and read more articles here.
Before the summer bushfires destroyed vast expanses of habitat, Australia was already in the midst of a biodiversity crisis. Now, some threatened species have been reduced to a handful of individuals – and extinctions are a real possibility.
The Kangaroo Island dunnart, a small marsupial, was listed as critically endangered before the bushfires. Then the inferno destroyed 95% of its habitat.
Prospects for the Banksia Montana mealybug are similarly grim. This flightless insect lives only on one species of critically endangered plant, at a high altitude national park in Western Australia. The fires destroyed 100% of the plant’s habitat.
Read more:
After the bushfires, we helped choose the animals and plants in most need. Here’s how we did it
And fewer than 100 western ground parrots remained in the wild before last summer, on Western Australia’s south coast. Last summer’s fires destroyed 40% of its habitat.
Fish, crayfish and some frogs are also struggling. After the fires, heavy rain washed ash, fire retardants and dirt into waterways. This can clog and damage gills, and reduces the water’s oxygen levels. Some animals are thought to have suffocated.
Here, dozens of experts tell the stories of the 119 species most in need of help after our Black Summer.
How can I help?
Recovery from Australia’s bushfire catastrophe will be a long road. If you want to help, here are a few places to start.
Donate
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Also see this list of registered bushfire charities
Volunteer
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Conservation Volunteers Australia
