Interested members of the community and Landcarers from across several groups including Tilligerry Landcare, Dungog Commoners Landcare and Shortland to Wallsend Landcare attended the Culturally-Informed Cool Burn Demonstration at Mallabula Community Centre at Tanilba Bay on Saturday 19th July. This event was a partnership of Ray McMillan and other fire practitioners from Worimi LALC Green Team, Whitney Ridgeway, Indigenous Fire Practitioner and Cultural Broker for Local Land Services, Port Stephens Council and Port Stephens Koala Hospital.
Initial presentations explained the background to this unique partnership which is sponsored by a grant from the NSW Government’s Environment Trust. Brayden Luke, Environmental Planning Team Leader at Port Stephens Council, outlined the vision for protecting, improving and connecting koala habitats. We were then led on a fascinating walk and talk exploring a site adjacent to the centre that had been burned in the past by different methods. We were able to compare opposite sides of a fire-trail that had recovered or worsened after hazard reduction or culturally-informed cool burns. These burns were conducted in different seasons and weather conditions.
Whitney Ridgeway and Ray McMillan demonstrated some aspects of observing and reading Country in order to measure the impacts of land management practices. This included noticing how animals responded to the smoke and the fires being lit, the growth forms taken by regenerating plants, whether the endemic seed bank had been activated by the appropriate temperature of the fire and much more. They explained that through healing Country by applying a mosaic of culturally-informed cool burns, the health of the koala foraging grounds is being improved. Invasive weeds have also reduced and the soil microflora is reviving. At the same time, the project is demonstrating that these burns can reduce fuel load over longer periods of time, and provide safe asset protection close to suburbs, whilst regenerating the native biodiversity endemic to the area.
A break in the rainy weather allowed a small demonstration burn around some Lomandra and Dianella. The temperature of the soil was cool enough for Whitney to put her hand in under the fire near the plant roots. Improving the health of the koala population was the uniting goal for all the organisations contributing to the project. Whitney explained that if we get the conditions right for the koala, as a keystone species, the forest will be brought into optimal health for all the other native fauna as well. It was important to note that different types of cultural burns are suitable for different places and are informed by the localised knowledge of different Aboriginal custodians.
Sharon Egan, Education Coordinator at the Port Stephens Koala Hospital, shared some heart-rending stories about what koalas are currently enduring. The Hospital is caring for injured koalas brought in from across the Hunter Valley, Central Coast, Mid North Coast, Dungog, Gloucester, Stroud and Bulahdelah. The hospital aims to get the koalas back into the wild as soon as they are healthy and resilient enough. This winter, several of the older koalas have struggled to regulate their body temperatures in the continuously cold, wet weather and have needed extra care before release. These dedicated volunteers are doing amazing work to protect our koala populations. Summer holiday time with extra traffic on the roads brings extra danger for koalas. Port Stephens Council has trialled some road barriers with tunnels and found that koalas and other wildlife have used them and avoided roads. If you find a sick or injured koala that may need rescuing, or are worried about a koala’s health or location, you can call the hospital on 1800 775 625. Rescue volunteers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They welcome more support and volunteer help.
This was a fantastic introduction to the value of culturally-informed cool burns for anyone with an interest in caring for land. There is so much more to learn about these burning practices which differ across the region and are supported by knowledge of local flora, fauna and their interactions, seasonal change, endemic plant community types, habitat structure and weather patterns. Traditional fire practitioners are integrating knowledge from all organisations involved in land management, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, to help communities move forwards together in caring for Country. The practices are being developed with a rich understanding of Country, a deep responsibility to community and a long-term vision for healthier, resilient landscapes into the future, that are resistant to climate changes and wildfires.
Thank you to Port Stephens Council for the photos.