Taking steps to slow the spread
Mia Hunt is Project Dieback’s Implementation Officer. Over the past few years, Mia has been working hard to figure out the answer to this question:
What can we do on the ground to keep dieback out of the six most protectable regions in ?
As a result of this reflection, Project Dieback has two main focus areas.
Awareness raising: making the dangers of dieback more clear to people and groups who need to know. We do this by —
- Liaising with stakeholders
- Running training sessions
- Capacity building in communities
- Running the Dieback Information Forum
On-the-ground work: discrete projects that contribute to slowing the spread. This includes things like —
- Track upgrades: help keep vehicles out of the mud so they don’t spread dieback
- Signage: make people aware of the dangers of dieback and what they can do to help
- Cameras: provide a strong disincentive for adventurers who might want to enter closed tracks
- Green bridges: depositing clean gravel over highly infested areas to slow the spread
Over the course of the project, Mia has noticed a sharp increase in the number of Local Government and industry groups accessing training from Project Dieback. This interest reflects a broader understanding in the community of the dangers of dieback and the best ways to control it.