Unprecedented bushfires have devastated parts of Australia for months. At least 500 million wild animals have died, and there is no count of how many trees and insects have burned.

About six and a half million hectares of land have burned; a hectare is roughly the size of a football pitch. But in some areas signs of life have been found breaking through the ash, as grass and seedlings slowly begin to sprout.

Photographer Murray Lowe went to the coastal Kulnura area near New South Wales and brought back pictures. Walking over the ash covering the ground, he saw green grass and pink buds just sprouting on burnt tree trunks.

After the 71-year-old photographer posted his pictures on social media they were shared thousands of times, giving people hope in the middle of the disaster.

A retired vehicle engineer, Mr Lowe takes photographs as a hobby. He had gone mainly to photograph the fire-ravaged landscape. Driving along the road through Kulnura, he stopped at Dharug National Park.

"As I walked past the burnt tree trunks in an eerie silence, ash rose into the air from the ground with every step. Only a terrible fire can leave such a devastating mark," he said.

Seeing fresh grass and buds, he regained hope. "This sign of renewal is what we were all hoping for. I am witnessing the moment of a forest's rebirth," he said.

Dharug National Park, covering about 15,000 hectares, has plant species that grow only in Australia.

Dr Kimberley Simpson, who teaches environmental science at the University of Sheffield, explained that the landscapes of different parts of Australia have withstood such bushfires for millions of years.

Source: BBC Bangla. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.