Using fire to look after country
The last three months of cooler weather have seen rangers engaged in fire management activities across Martu Country.
Following on from Incendiary Machine Operator training earlier in the year, each ranger team has undertaken aerial burning operations in their work area. Linking fire scars from previous years to produce fire breaks, and breaking up large areas of unburnt country, the rangers are managing fire on a landscape scale.
In addition to widespread aerial burning the rangers have also worked hard implementing fine scale ground burning around important areas. The Jigalong rangers have continued to collaborate with DBCA to protect Warru (Black-flanked rock-wallaby) populations and sacred sites at Durba Hills on the Canning Stock Route, while the Punmu rangers have been implementing the Punmu Bushfire Risk Management Plan to protect the community from wildfire. The fire management work draws on the knowledge and authority of elders and is undertaken with their guidance promoting the natural and cultural health of Martu Country.