Planting, and the fire

In November 2020 we started planting trees by hand on cleared land, with a partner. By 2021 about 12 hectares had been planted.

In late November we finished a forest trail, about two kilometres under the remaining canopy, from the house to the planting site. It was for walking and cycling, and so we could reach the site quickly in the dry season if there was a fire.

People walking along a narrow path through young forest — The first forest trail, November 2020.

At the end of January 2021 we walked the site. At least nine in ten of the trees planted in November were alive. The dry season was starting, so we said we would watch for fire until the rains.

On 5 March 2021, around two in the afternoon, a fire reached the planting site. About a fifth of it burned, with the seedlings in it. That week much of the valley was burning.

A flat-topped hill seen through smoke, above burnt grassland — Smoke across the valley, March 2021.

Blackened grassland in the foreground, with smoke rising from fires along the mountains behind — Fires along the valley.

In the days after, we cut the dry grass around the remaining seedlings so the next fire would have less to burn. Without the fire, nine in ten of the seedlings had come through the heat of the dry season.

Young trees in a cleared area with cut grass on the ground — Grass cleared around the seedlings, March 2021.

A young sapling with broad leaves in cleared ground, with taller trees behind — After clearing the grass, March 2021.

Young trees among cut grass on a slope, with the hill behind — After clearing the grass, March 2021.

Cutting grass every dry season is not a long-term answer. At the time we wrote that we were looking at agroforestry and other ways to deal with fire, and asked for ideas.

Fire has burned through the planted area a few times since. Any planting we do next has to plan for fire first.

Notes and photos were first posted on our Telegram channel: the trail, checking the trees, the fire, clearing the grass.