Photo of the Week- Week 2

This photo was taken on January 14, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. The mural depicts a firefighting koala thanking those who helped save hundreds of thousands of koalas, kangaroos, lizards, and birds who have suffered from the fervent forest fires Australia has dealt with for several weeks. These forest fires have been the worst in decades for Australia, killing at least 28 people, destroying 3,000 homes, and killing over a ½ billion animals (CNN). These rabid fires have burned their way through all of Australia but struck South Wales particularly hard. The cause of such fires usually begins during Australia’s season of hot, dry weather which are ideal conditions for fire. For this particular occasion, causes are linked to lightning strikes in drought-affected locations as well as deliberate ignitions of bushfires by over 24 people. These forest fires have been exponentially worse than others because Australia is suffering from one of its worst droughts in decades as well as battling strong winds that have spread the fires at a rapid pace. More than 17.9 million acres of land across Australia have been burned by these fires. In efforts to heal this devastating crisis, both state and federal authorizes are working hand in hand to end the fires. Over 2,000 firefighters have been working ceaselessly to combat the spread of fires and are receiving help from firefighters in the US, Canada, and New Zealand as well. Military assistance has also been sent in to help coordinate evacuation, rescues, and clean-up efforts. With over $73 million dollars raised for Australia through Facebook alone, there is no question that our planet has come together as a community to help the Australian people, animals, and resources in need. If you would like to help combat Australia’s forest fires, there are several organizations to donate to including the Australian Red Cross, Salvation Army Australia, and the NSW Rural Fire Service— all working towards helping victims recover. If you would like to help the animals affected by the fire, treatment groups including WIRES, the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, and Currumbin Wildlife Hospital are great places to give to. Although we cannot end these fires immediately, we can do our best to continue the generosity of millions of sponsors and volunteers who have helped lessen the significance of the crisis exponentially— earning praise all over the world, including from the firefighting koala in Melbourne!