Waking up to subzero temperatures here in Northeast Minnesota, it is hard to imagine a part of our world that is literally on fire. But this is certainly the case in Australia.
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Through my writing and the connectivity of the internet I have come to know a very special person, Xan Holyoak who resides in Blackwood, South Australia. I recently reached out to her to see how I could offer support and help. Please read her response here and consider supporting those affected by this devastation:
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Dearest US Friends,
Hello! I wish each and every one of you ease, rest and hearts full of love for this new year and decade. Heaven knows we all need it eh?!!
The past month in Australia has made global news and each one of us Aussies have passed through every realm of emotion possible. We've all struggled to dig ourselves out of a pit of helplessness and despair. The heartbreak and loss repeatedly becoming too much to bear and each of us needing frequent shelter from the ambush of gut wrenching images and social media noise. On this, my apologies if your DMs have remained unanswered, Instagram has become too much for me right now and in fact, I saw the hashtag #firefatigue somewhere so I know I'm not the only one feeling this way.
From the ashes of anger and devastation however, a resurgence and newly fuelled passion is emerging in Australia. Action for change is rising like a phoenix and there's a part of me, somewhere deep inside that wants to acknowledge purpose. Often times we need brutal wake-up calls for mass collectives to shift. So much love has been pouring into Australia over the past week and so many complacent Australians have sat bolt upright with fierce determination. We are a mess right now but good things will come from all this, of that I am sure! Already, awareness around climate change and community are shining through and gaining momentum.
Ironically we are just a couple of days away from celebrating the 5th anniversary of Tuck's death. If this message is getting forwarded to you and you don't know much about me, Tuck was my best friend and partner of 17 years, husband of 8 and father to our 2 babes who were 4 and 6 years old when he was killed in a motorcycle accident. I offer this introduction to highlight an example of another time where life can be brutal and messy while we navigate a new path but I can affirm, 5 years down the track, great things emerge as a result if we choose to use the experience as a catalyst for change.
Many of you have reached out to me recently - checking in to make sure the kids and I are OK in regards to the bushfires. We are! And thank you all so very much for your kindness and love.
Parts of the Adelaide Hills in Sth Aus (home for us) were hit hard in the days just before Christmas with many of our friends and school community losing homes. We've all remained on high alert with evacuation plans at the ready and my morning coffee has become ridiculously strong - the result of being awake throughout too many nights with the smell of smoke thick in the air. We had a drop in temps yesterday and even a little rain. It wasn't nearly enough but hell, something is better than nothing and it's provided a welcome relief for us all take stock and prepare for whatever the remainder of summer brings!
Over the past week, our beloved KI (aka Kangaroo Island) just off the south coast from us, has been almost destroyed and is still under threat with new blazes continuing to ignite. KI is celebrated for its pristine wilderness, nature reserves and national park, eco-tourism and artisan producers, plus it's home to what is believed to be the last remaining population of purebred Ligurian bees as well as the endangered dunnart - a small marsupial found only on the island.
The fires on KI have destroyed over 215,000 hectares including homes and farmland. Two human lives were lost and the wildlife toll will probably never really be accurately known. It's over 2 billion nationally but I haven't heard the specific figures for KI. There is huge concern over the surviving wildlife however as they no longer have their habitats or food so the impact will be on going.
So many of you have ask me how you can help. I've put together a list of organisations, both national and local to me. You are under no obligation so please do not feel any pressure to support. There are some large organisations doing incredible work who have already received attention and massive financial support from celebrities, sports stars and influencers. For this reason, I have chosen to concentrate my efforts and recommendations on the smaller teams also doing incredible work with very little funds.
They are each reputable, genuine organisations and by all means follow the links to their websites and/or contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Each would be enormously grateful to receive financial assistance but you can also support through craft or conscious consumerism :)
- The Kangaroo Island Mayoral Bushfire Relief and Recovery Fund
- Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary and their Go Fund Me campaign to upcycle old enclosures into a wildlife hospital specifically to insure our local koala population.
- KI Land for Wildlife's Go Fund Me campaign to save the dunnart (that's 2 separate links - 1 to their FB page, the other to their go fund me)
- CFS Foundation South Australia's Country Fire Service. They are the people fighting our fires. They do so voluntarily for their local communities and risk their lives with every call.
- Buy From The Bush is an initiative that grew out of the desperate need to support Australian farming families through drought, but is now more important than ever with some of those families and communities being ravaged by fire. This website offers a portal to the small businesses in those rural towns where there are some very clever hand-crafters making truly beautiful goodies.
- Adelaide Koala Rescue
- Kangaroo Island Wildlife Network
- Animal Rescue Craft Guild FB page for donating handmade nests, pouches and bat wraps. It includes links to patterns etc. Its's a bit tricky to figure out where to send so if you stitch/knit anything up, feel free to post them to me and I'll get them to where they are needed.
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!
With love and hugs,
Xan xo