Deserts in Australia burn – and burn big – if fuel is left to build up. But this year, Indigenous rangers across the deserts have burned huge tracts early to make Country healthier.
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Articles on Cultural burning
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Before the colonists came, we managed the land with careful use of cool burns. To stop giant bushfires, we have to learn again how to care for country.
Building a culture where fire is respected rather than feared is essential to maintain resilient landscapes.
Researchers focused on a site in the Illawarra region of NSW, which holds a unique record into the past.
Shocking scenes of scorched koalas in the 2019-20 bushfires sparked research into cultural burns for wildlife. A two-year study on the world’s second-largest sand island suggests it’s the way to go.
We need a way for our laws to protect both humans and nature when it comes to bushfire risk
New research finds the Victorian town of Buchan never experienced catastrophic bushfires, until misguided laws banned the use of burning as a way to control the land.
Indigenous fire management reduces the risk of bushfires, supports habitat and improves Indigenous wellbeing. Yet, the State of the Environment report this week found it’s underused.
We cannot allow climate change mitigation and adaptation to become another colonial process of dispossession and disempowerment.
Why rely on unproven technologies when we can store carbon and cut emissions through Country-based and nature-based solutions?
Large and out-of-control wildfires can seriously damage ecosystems, but Indigenous fire practices can keep ecosystems healthy and resilient, and even increase biodiversity.
As the bushfire royal commission examines whether to expand the use of indigenous fire techniques, overseas countries are already on board.
In past bushfire inquires, Aboriginal people have been mentioned only sparingly. When referenced now, it’s only in relation to cultural burning. This must change.
Top contributors
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Professor in Biogeography, The University of Melbourne
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Research Fellow, Monash University
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Professor, Department of Plant Science, University of Saskatchewan
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Research Fellow, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University
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Professor, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania
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Associate Investigator, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, UNSW Sydney
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Senior Research Fellow, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne
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Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania
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Future Making Fellow, Environment Institute, University of Adelaide
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Professor in Conservation Science, School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, The University of Melbourne
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Researcher in Koala, Detection Dogs, Conservation Genetics and Ecology, University of the Sunshine Coast
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Senior Research Fellow, Western Sydney University
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Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne
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Traditional Custodian — Kurnai, Indigenous Knowledge
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Co-Chairperson of the Indigenous Desert Alliance and a Regional Land Management Coordinator at the Central Land Council, Indigenous Knowledge
