Forest fire prevention through empowering indigenous communities

The Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation is an indigenous-led organisation that re-introduced cultural burning to increase the resilience of fire-prone landscapes in Australia. Australia’s expanding urban areas and cities are vulnerable to impacts of bushfires such as fire damage, smoke hazards, and biodiversity loss. The Firestick Alliance empowers Aboriginal communities in fire management and teaches vulnerable communities to protect themselves and their living environment. Ancient burning techniques are introduced to reduce hazardous fires, such as burning small forest patches with low intensity early in the fire season. They also developed the “Yugul Mangi Fire and Seasons Calendar” in collaboration with scientists, Indigenous Elders, and rangers. The calendar presents biocultural indicators that guide fire management, planning, and transfer of indigenous knowledge.