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Yirrganydji Country | Ashlyn Skeene and Jessica Wegener Credit: Annette Ruzicka

Firesticks is upskilling the next generation of practitioners through our Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program. We support communities in building their capacity regionally to reinstate cultural knowledge practices through Firesticks practitioners, Elders, community leaders and local knowledge holders.

The knowledge practitioners grow includes:

  • Acknowledgement of Country through cultural knowledge and protocols.
  • Applying Cultural Fire across different ecosystems and unhealthy landscapes.
  • Cultural ecological monitoring and research of Country.
  • Applying knowledge practices to improve agricultural and economic livelihoods.
  • Reading Country to understand best practice in creating solutions for restoring the indentity of ecosystems.
  • Learning cultural harvesting practices that restore Country and enhance social enterprise opportunities.
  • Sharing knowledge through a community mentorship methodology that restores cultural knowledge on a national scale.
Join the program

“The biggest thing I’ve learnt from this program is knowing how to 
read Country in away that I never knew, understanding the identity of 
each ecosystem and how they’ve lost their identity. We relate to that as Aboriginal people – we’ve also lost our identity. There’s a real deep 
connection between us and Country – we’ve got sick communities and 
sick Country. I see this program as being a really big solution for that. 
We’ll be connected back out to Country and I think the sickness in our communities will start to dissipate as well.”

Whitney Ridgeway
Worimi and Bundjalung Fire Practitioner

Phase 1

Community Aspirations and Interest

Tailored training over seasons which include activities and study, supported by Firesticks.

Phase 2

Assessment and Project Planning

Country and community work plan and development.

Phase 3

Introduction to Stakeholders and Workshops

Ongoing mentorship is available for communities who need support in other areas and development towards autonomous land and community management foundation.

Phase 4

Completion of the Mentorship

Fire Practitioners receive recognition of their capacity to burn the Country types from their own Elders and communities with the support of completing the Firesticks Mentoring Program.

Videos on the Mentoring Program

Journey of a Cultural Fire Practitioner – Roy Thomas

Meet Roy Thomas, palawa Associate Fire Practitioner as he shares his journey with Cultural Fire.

Journey of a Cultural Fire Practitioner – Brailey Duncan

Meet Brailey Duncan, truwulway / pakana Associate Fire Practitioner and participant in the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program.

Journey of a Cultural Fire Practitioner – Robbie Paulson

Meet Robbie Paulson, Worimi and Bundjalung Fire Practitioner and participant in the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program.

Four months after a Cultural Burn on Worimi Country – a Fire Practitioner Tour

Participants in the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program show us Worimi Country four months after a Cultural Burn.

Journey of a Cultural Fire Practitioner – Uncle Norman Archibald

Meet Uncle Norman Archibald, Gumbaynggirr and Gomeroi Fire Practitioner and participant in the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program.

Journey of a Cultural Fire Practitioner – Peter Townsend

Meet Peter Townsend, Wiradjuri, Wayilwan and Gomeroi Fire Practitioner and Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program Coordinator.

Journey of a Cultural Fire Practitioner – Wade Lancett

Meet Wade Lancett, Worimi Fire Practitioner who has participated in the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program.

Journey of a Cultural Fire Practitioner – Whitney Ridgeway

Meet Whitney Ridgeway, Worimi/Bundjalung-Guthang Fire Practitioner who has participated in the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program.

Jessica Wegener on the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program

Jessica Wegener, Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan Pillarkilu Mayi and Firesticks Learning and Mentoring Coordinator explains the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program.

Victor Steffensen on the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program

Victor Steffensen, Tagalaka man and Firesticks Co-founder, explains the Firesticks Indigenous Fire and Land Management Mentoring Program.