This session will start with providing an overview Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers in Queensland, what they do and where they are located. Then representatives from the following ranger programs will share their stories:

The Melsonby Indigenous Land and Sea rangers from Cape York have enhanced their fire management skills over the last decade. Facing the challenge of wildfires encroaching from three directions, the rangers have work closely with their neighbours, established a Rural Fire Brigade, and use aerial incendiary burning and traditional burning techniques. They prioritise the protection of rock art, cultural sites, biodiversity and infrastructure using fire to safeguard these assets. Furthermore, the rangers have provided opportunities for numerous Indigenous land managers to complete fire training courses.

The Jawajawa Rangers based in the Wet Tropics region are the operational unit of the Dulabed and Malanbarra Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation and are managing Country in partnership with Qld Parks & Wildlife Service. The team have developed a strong, respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with QPWS with a specific focus on fire management of Country.  Jawajawa Rangers use fire as a cultural tool for managing Culturally significant areas. The partnership has enabled the fostering of cross-cultural knowledge transfer with respect to western science and traditional burning methods.

Bunya Mountain Rangers will showcase their project on how the ‘Right Fire’ can minimise Bushfire risk, keep everyone safe and create a more engaged community. The project sites are in the Bunya Mountains and surrounding locations to provide participants experience across different ‘Country Types’, and the ‘Right Fire’ for each of these. The project brings together fire practitioners, land managers and researchers to build whole-of-community resilience by creating a strategic, unified approach to safe bushfire prevention and response.