ÃØÃÜÖ±²¥

Ecology for people and Country: Culturally directed, large-scale fire management in the Great Sandy Desert

Australia is an arid continent, and its inland is covered by mighty deserts. Many people think of these deserts as a vast, unpopulated place that takes care of itself. But none of this is true. The deserts have experienced profound changes since European colonisation. They are ground zero for mammal extinctions, and deserts continue to face threats from invasive species, changed fire patterns, and now climate change. Aboriginal people and deserts have looked after each other for millennia. Colonisation disrupted that relationship, but Traditional Owners are reviving and reinventing their custodianship again. In this talk, I will describe some of the work being instigated by Traditional Owners and rangers of the Great Sandy Desert from my perspective as a collaborating scientist. The work revolves around reinstating fire practice and management, and integrates contemporary science with cultural governance and priority setting. Our deserts make a substantial contribution to the total area of Australia’s National Reserve System and to our international commitment to reach 30% of land protected by 2030. With minimal policy and science support, desert people are doing the work to make sure those commitments aren’t just hollow lines on maps and creating a deeply Australian approach to conservation management.