Talking Fire – Igniting a Spark

Posted on 24 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

There’s a triangle involved in fire; which involves conditions, substrate and spark. The “Talking Fire” weekend on 12-13th November 2016 lit a spark, but it certainly wasn’t damaging. The triangle of local, Indigenous and technical expertise, field and forest visits, and space to talk about what people in the Newstead-Maldon community have heard and seen, all created another sort of ignition.

Part of the field trip convoy through the Muckleford Forest looking at ecological values, burning and fire recovery

People are concerned about the places they love, including home and the local landscape more generally. Talking Fire was a great start to a new kind of conversation: about learning, reducing fear, building understanding, caring for our towns, settlements and the whole landscape together.

Thanks to everyone who participated and contributed. Especially Maldon Urban Landcare Group (MULGA). And for funding – thanks to Mount Alexander Shire Community Grants, Maldon and District Community Bank (Bendigo Bank), Norman Wettenhall Foundation. For catering – Newstead Primary School, Newstead Mens’ Shed; for gifts – Goughs Range Olives and Newstead Natives; in-kind support – Newstead Landcare, Connecting Country, Newstead Fire Brigade, Newstead Auxiliary, Friends of Box Ironbark Forests, Bendigo TAFE, DELWP. And our recorders – Julie Hough, Julie Millowick, Christine Sayer, Marion Williams, Simon Beckett, Andrew Skeoch, Sarah Koschak, Gordon Dowell. And three cheers for the planning group too.

Andrew Bennett (wildlife and landscape ecologist, La Trobe University and Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research), Sam Strong (pHD candidate at Charles Sturt University), Joan Sartori (Newstead CFA Auxiliary), Mick Burke and Trent Nelson (Dja Dja Wurrung Clans)

And mostly, to everyone who came to any of it, or all, and joined the chat. Talking Fire think there were around 40 – 50 on each day, and not the same attendees, or speakers. It made for more conversations.

Because many people couldn’t attend the event, or only came to parts of it, Talking Fire are curating the audio, visual and audio-visual of the weekend at their website www.talkingfire.org. You will be able to get a gist of the conversations there. But please be a bit patient for it all to arrive.

Talking Fire are also interested in collecting ‘fire histories’ around the CFA auxiliary, and other fire experiences – to share and learn from. Contact Gordon 0467 586 881 or Janet 0439 003 469.

More info: www.talkingfire.org or Chris 54762457.