COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT: POCKET FOREST
Location: Lobethal
STATUS: Completed
DATES: Saturday 11th September 2021
TIMES: 9.30am – 3.00pm (at the latest)
DRA is returning to Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills to provide support to the Mill Road Pocket Forest bushfire recovery project. The South Australian DRT has been committed to offering recovery and assistance since the devastating aftermath of the 19/20 Black Summer bushfires.
BACKGROUND
Located at the entrance to Lobethal, the pocket forest project acknowledges community resiliency and the contributions of numerous selfless townspeople who worked to save the town and support its recovery.
The community engagement project offers DRA members of all abilities the opportunity to help the community over a range of gardening tasks including spreading mulch on a steep incline, removal of tree roots as well as planting small trees, shrubs and natives.
DRA is proud to donate funds towards permanent seating in the pocket forest with the hope to provide space for residents and tourists to reflect. DRA member Jodie Turpin is donating $5k of her Westfield Local Heroes Award towards a commemorative artwork.
Contributing to the project was immensely rewarding for our South Australian DRT members.
PROPOSED TASKING
- Planting plants & shrubs
- Digging up tree roots
- Spreading mulch
All the Reward I Need, Veteran Phil Wharton
A veteran friend suggested I look at Disaster Relief Australia when I was looking for an opportunity to give back after many years of paid work. I was immediately impressed by DRA’s focus on getting things done and helping others in their hour of need. Thinking about...
Take a Leap, Volunteer, Alasdair McLachlan
I come from a military family. My father is an Officer in the Army Reserve and so I spent much time in my childhood surrounded by the ADF community. Whether through attending a family barbeque in Keswick Barracks or doing my homework on my dad’s Army Reserve office...
Use Any of Your Life Skills, Nurse Michelle
Everybody will be able to make a contribution in some way. They will bring their own life experiences and be able to make a purposeful impact on other people – and that’s such a wonderful thing to be able to do to people in our community who may not have that access to those resources in another way.