– supplied by Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Today’s Good news comes from the Good News Network.
Aboriginal Elders Lead Prescribed Burn–and Rare Orchids Appear by Thousands
By Andy Corbley –
Recapturing ancestral responsibility and restoring endangered orchids are the themes coming out of Australia’s scorched grasslands.
Burned by the cataclysmic bushfires of 2019, a national park called the Barrington Tops exploded in rare veined doubletail orchids, and now the traditional owners of the lands perform prescribed burns to aid these flowers in flourishing under duress from invasive species.
“During the… wildfires, fire jumped up here on the plateau,” Luke Foster, from the country’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), told ABC News AU. “And in the burn footprint the following season, we had 4,000 [orchids] pop up right where the fire went through.”
Prior to 2023, it had been more than 50 years since the plain experienced a cultural burning, when slower, cooler fires are allowed to spread across the landscape according to elders’ deep knowledge of the terrain.
Birrbay, Warrimay, Wanarruwa, Gaewegal, and Guringay peoples all consider the Barrington Tops, called the Biyan Biyan Plain in their language, to be their traditional lands, and elders of these groups speak of a time when it was used as a place for gathering.
Warrimay elder Michelle Perry has been collaborating at the request of the DCCEEW to help lead the burning in aid of the veined doubletail orchid. According to Perry, Aboriginal groups have been conducting these burnings for millennia to prevent larger, more destructive wildfires from breaking out.
“There was a sense that they [our ancestors] were giving approval… it was just a sense of, ‘Yeah, they’re caring, watching.’ It has been one of the best things that’s happened for me and my family,” she told ABC.
So far the collaboration between the DCCEEW and some 150 different traditional owners has lit controlled fire to the Barrington Tops three times, and research is ongoing to study its effects on the orchids.
Ms. Perry relishes each chance to forge a greater connection to the land, and focuses on sharing and instilling that sense of connection into the younger generations of Warrimay and others.
The good news in this story is nature has a way to replenish treasured flora. Today’s JohnKu talks about how nature works. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Orchids by John W. Howell © 2025
Endangered orchids,
Rise from the flames to glory . . .
Nature sleeps till called.
Fiction Favorites 
Hello John, we heard many locals say that the fire currently burning on the North Yorkshire Moors for the last eight weeks may not have happened if the old practice of prescribed burning had been allowed to go ahead. Environmental protesters made enough noise to stop the standard practice of controlled burns from happening. Hats Off to Australia. 💚
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Sadly, I think we are going to find more of this. Right now, I’m feeling a little sorry for the UK. Too many protests, not enough common sense.
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Yes, John, and too much division! It weakens the collective every time. Much love to you all. Xx ❤️
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❤️
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Hi John, it’s about time people started respecting the old traditions based on prior experience and learnings.
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I agree, Robbie.
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I’ve had a couple of experiences of seeing explosive growth of wildflowers after burns on the Brazoria prairie: blue stars and spider lilies come to mind. It’s one of the reasons fire’s so important in the Big Thicket; burning off the undergrowth allows native plants to thrive.
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You are very familiar with the Texas flora conditions. Thanks for the comment.
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I saw something similar to this on TV. As long as a person knows what they’re doing, like these do, it is a fantastic service they provide!
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I agree, GP.
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Awesome flowers. Funny how fire like that can be a positive if controlled.
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I thought so too.
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How wonderful, amazing and awe inspiring!
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All of that, Annette. Thank you
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What an incredible outcome of the burning! I think the occasionally horrible outcomes of the California wildfires might be avoided with controlled burning of the brush. But it seems that’s not on the state government’s agenda.
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So many activists are against controlled burns.
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And look at the result. More addle-pated activists.
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Ha ha ha. 👏🏻
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Wow! What an incredible story of nature’s amazing ability to show off!!
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I agree, Jan. Quite a show, too.
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Interesting how some plants seem to need fire as part of their evolution.
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Very hard to grasp.
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It’s amazing to me that controlled fires are good for the environment, John.
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It looks like that is the case. We have them here in Texas.
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What a wonderful metaphor for a culture allowed to blossom once more with beautiful results.
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I agree, Rebecca.
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Out of ashes, something incredibly beautiful arose…. How remarkable! Thank you, John, for this beautiful account.
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It is incredible to me that this is possible. Thank you, Gwen. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
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Orchids growing wild anywhere are fascinating to me, John — but this takes it to another level. Hugs.
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Can you imagine them growing in our backyards?
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Haha. Yours yes — mine no. Weeds, weeds, weeds.
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Ha ha ha.
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Where I used to live, there was a fire on a common and it was amazing to see how nature recovered. Thank you for sharing this news story, John.
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Thank you as well, Esther. 😀
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It’s incredible how resilient nature is and Ms. Perry’s sharing, John! 💓
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It is, Cindy. Thank you.
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In our northern Quebec region, there was a great fire which resulted in a flourish of blueberries. Nature provide when it can and when there are special people who know the land and do what they can to help, that is a beautiful thing. But as one of your readers pointed out, not just anyone can do so.
Wondeful share, John.
I apologise for my lack of presence. I am going through an insane period at work and just can’t give you the love you deserve. (Except tomorrow, I’ll be there 😉 )
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I did miss you, but you need to concentrate on your job for sure. Hope you get some rest over the weekend.
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You’re so lovely. My plans for catching up keep getting bamboozled!
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I can identify, Dale.
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I bet you can!
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Probably not.
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Hah!
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😊
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Just kidding. Yes I can
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That’s what I was thinkin’ 😉
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😀
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This is such a wonderful story. We are separated from the indigenous tribes here in South Florida. I enjoyed reading this.
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Thank you, Holly. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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Very much!
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😀
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😁
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🐂
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🐂🐂
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It’s good that the indigenous stewards of the land are now able to do what they do best.
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I agree, Liz.
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How fascinating!
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It is for sure, Joy. Thanks
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Interesting article. As dryer and hotter conditions become more common with climate change it is more important than ever to employ good forest management practices.
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Good point, Thomas. 😊
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LOVE that Nature rebounded with those lovely orchids. It reminds me of how Yellowstone rebounded after the devastating back in the late 80’s.
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Yeah. All it takes is a little bit of fire.
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Yes.. re: the JohnKu
OF Nature Sleeps until she has no choice but to wake up, and let us know who’s in charge.
Love this report about the orchids and a natural solution to bush fires.
Thanks John!
🀣𝔛 🀣𝔛 🀣𝔛
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Always a pleasure to bring you good news. 📰X
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Thank you! Love good news!
🐾X 📰X
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Me, Too. 😀X
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😀X 😀X
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I love from fire came beauty 🙂
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Yes indeed. Thanks, Denise.
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Great story, John! Thanks for sharing it xo
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I agree, and you are welcome.
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How amazing! I love orchids – and trying to nurse them back to bloom. 🙂
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Yes, nature knows how to replenish itself.
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So true. 😊
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If we took more time to listen to nature, we’d be in a much better place.
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I think so, too.
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John, a great example here of nature at work. It is a shame we became a constraint to nature being allowed to just do its thing, but at least there are some human beings left to try to help nature when her natural order gets thrown off the rails.
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You are so right, Bruce. Thank you.
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