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A koala is rescued on Jan. 16 from Kangaroo Island, an area devastated by Australia's bushfires. Photo by Adam Ferguson for TIME.
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A koala is rescued on Jan. 16 from Kangaroo Island, an area devastated by Australia’s bushfires. Photo by Adam Ferguson for TIME.
Many may have heard of the battles against bushfires in Australia since 2019. More than 16 million acres burned in the Northern Territory, approximately 12 million acres in NSW and 1.4 million acres in Victoria, 6 million acres in Queensland, 54 million acres in West Australia, 490 thousand in South Australia and 36 thousand in Tasmania. Despite the recent rainfall, the damage is done.
Homes have been destroyed, lives have been lost, people and animals have been displaced and nearly half a billion animals died. What can we do to help?
Donate
Australia is in need of disaster relief and any donation helps evacuees, front-line responders and wildlife. Funds can cover spaces to support those affected by the bushfires until they can return to a place they once called home or cover costs for supplies and recovery.
Not sure where to donate? Here are a few options:
- Australian Red Cross – For relief programs and evacuees
- Salvation Army Australia “Disaster Appeal” – For immediate relief and emergency service teams
- St. Vincent de Paul Society Australia – For the “Bushfire appeal” that focuses on bills and rebuilding
- Save the Children – For children/family-focused evacuation centers
- WIRES – For help to sick, injured and orphaned wildlife
- Animals Australia Federation – For surviving animals and wildlife caretakers
Spread the Word
Another way you can support is by spreading the word whether it’s person to person or on the worldwide web. There is so much more we can do to help than “Like” a post. We can share, we can create discourse.
Sharing these stories can spark more awareness to the bigger picture of these bushfires: climate change is among us. This is our world and our home slowly burning. The time is now to push on taking initiative whether it’s creating and promoting policies or committing to individual actions that sustain our planet.
Governor Jay Inslee summed it up in a statement, “we are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do something about it.” The damage may already be done, but there is still hope for the future.
