Footprint

Community Mentoring in Greater Sydney

Dharug, Dharawal, and Gundungurra Country

2025 concluded a two-year mentoring program in the Greater Sydney region. This first-of-itskind initiative, delivered in partnership with Greater Sydney Local Land Services (GSLLS), focused on revitalising Indigenous Land Management and fire practices across Dharug, Dharawal, and Gundungurra Communities. The program’s core objective is to empower participants to become autonomous and selfsufficient in caring for Country.

In 2023, 18 Community members were onboarded to the program. Through on- Country workshops, associates developed skills such as establishing monitoring plots to collect both cultural and ecological data. By building internal capacity, the program fosters a self-determined future that can generate new income streams through Indigenous-led research and enterprises. The Mentoring Program had a profound impact on associates, as participant Lauren Moore states, “This mentorship has changed the course of my life.”

In May, Firesticks and GSLLS convened a gathering of key stakeholders who share a vested interest in the sustainability of the Cultural Fire network. Building on this momentum, we are now collaborating to establish the Western Sydney Hub to provide dedicated support for the Dharug and Gundungurra mob in knowledge sharing, capacity building, and long-term Community empowerment.