In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of Indigenous stewardship and the leadership of First Nations Peoples in caring for Country. Across Australia and globally, this has led to the development of partnerships that support knowledge sharing and collaboration across cultures.

This talk presents an ARC project supporting the re‑emergence of cultural burning in box‑gum grassy woodlands in south‑eastern Australia. Grounded in partnerships with First Nations communities, the project brings together Indigenous knowledge holders, researchers, and land managers to support Indigenous‑led priorities and practices. Together, the project seeks to remove barriers to cultural burning while supporting the sharing of knowledge, tools, and approaches to maintain and improve ecosystems, and to generate positive outcomes for Community and culture.

 

Dr Elle Bowd is an ecologist and Research Fellow at the Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University. Her research spans eucalypt forests and grassy woodlands across south-eastern Australia, with a focus on plant and fungal ecology and the interactions between above-and below-ground processes.

Her work examines how ecosystems respond to change over time including different kinds of fire. In recent years, her research has increasingly centred on cross-cultural partnerships that support Indigenous stewardship and the re-emergence of traditional land management practices. Working alongside First Nations communities, land managers and researchers, she contributes to projects that bring together knowledge systems to support Indigenous-led priorities, strengthen knowledge sharing, and generate outcomes for Country, culture, and community.