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Our Soils Are Changing

Dharrawal-Yuin Country
Following the destructive wildfires in Southeast Australia in the summer of 2019-2020, Yuin Walbanja knowledge-holder Noel Webster reflects on the health of Country at a significant place where the edge of land culturally burned in 2018, met the heat of the wildfires 18 months later.

Eighteen months after the 2018 National Indigenous Fire Workshop at Bundanon, devastating wildfires tore through the Shoalhaven, destroying 80% of the Country.

Members of the Firesticks team, Uncle Nook (Noel Webster), a Yuin Walbanja saltwater man, as well as Joel and Adrian revisited Bundanon to show the difference between Country that had Cultural Fire applied in 2018, with Country destroyed by wildfire in 2020.

 

Credits:

Produced by Firesticks with Vera Hong and Craig Bender / Backbone Productions.

Filmed and edited by Vera Hong and Craig Bender / Backbone Productions.

“Over the years our landscapes have been changing. We’ve had our vegetation encroaching in mass creating huge fuel loads that foster big destructive fire. And it’s through these changing landscapes and interaction, species adaptation is becoming dominating and we need to go back to the old way to stop the destruction. Where now we have a landscape that requires healing, but for many many years, a lifetime of healing for this landscape.”

Uncle Nook (Noel Webster)
Yuin Walbanja knowledge-holder