A key objective of the Applied Bushfire Science Program is to incorporate cultural practices, knowledge and values into the policy and planning for bushfire and land management. 

We do this by:

1. Building and maintaining trusted relationships with Aboriginal communities
2. Working closely with Elders, Traditional Owners, Aboriginal rangers, Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs), knowledge holders and communities.
3. Enabling people to connect on, and learn from Country 
4. Relationship building through Aboriginal kinship connection and cultural exchange across NSW.
5. Culturally led case studies that utilise participatory action research methodologies.
6. Building cultural competency of fire management agencies through partnerships. 

Projects underway include:

• Cultural Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (CMER)- Developing a culturally appropriate monitoring, evaluation and reporting methodology with community to record the journey 

• Merrimans LALC case study - Cultural mentoring with ranger teams to build cultural and western knowledge and resources. E.g. cultural land management, mapping and values alongside drones, GIS, predictive modelling etc.

• Bush Fire Management Committees (BFMCs) participation - working with multiple LALCs from Southern NSW to enable them to participate meaningfully and feel culturally safe in BFMC meetings.

• Healing Country and Community - Supporting Aboriginal cultural practices for healing Country by bringing Merrimans, Batemans Bay, Brungle/Tumut ranger Crews together to share knowledge and heal Country and community. Dignams Creek burn September 2024. 

• Repatriation of cultural knowledge – supporting the participation of multiple Aboriginal peoples at cultural camps at Rick Farley Reserve and Barmah Forest Deniliquin to share cultural knowledge through kinship connection 

• Inclusion of cultural values in hazard reduction – working with NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Fire and Rescue NSW to include cultural attributes and values in fire trail and hazard reduction burn plans and ensuring operational works include cultural protocols - Cooma North Ridge Bushfire Incident Management Exercise (IMX) for cultural values - involving South Coast ranger groups, Aboriginal community members, RFS, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry Corporation and Crown Lands, in the first ever IMX to include cultural knowledge and values, held at the Bega Fire Control Centre in Nov 2024.

• Cultural mapping and cultural calendars – working with community to develop cultural tools for inclusion in fire planning and decision-making processes.