Experiences of members of community-based, environmentally focused groups following the 2019–20 bushfires

The 2019–20 summer bushfires in Australia resulted in significant loss and damage across Australia. This article focuses on the experiences of community-based, environmentally focused groups in the East Gippsland and northeast regions of Victoria after the fires. Qualitative interviews with 21 group members and a focus group with 12 industry stakeholders were undertaken. We identified that despite disaster recovery not being a core function of these groups, they had recovery related benefits in post-disaster settings. This included supporting connection to the natural environment, benefits of group membership that aligned with the mass trauma intervention principles, and the ability to help amplify the work of government and other organisations. The findings from this study indicate that community-based, environmentally focused groups can positively contribute to both social and environmental recovery after disasters such as bushfires.