Caring for Country: Building a Fire Management Strategy on Githabul Country
At this year’s International Congress of Conservation Biology (ICCB) held in Brisbane, Healthy Land & Water’s Dr Diana Virkki, co-presented alongside Githabul (Waringh Waringh) People, Melissa Chalmers and Nathan Charles to share insights from their collaborative fire management project.
Together, they presented on their project, Promoting culturally and ecologically significant species through fire management on Githabul Country. This vital work helped inform a broader project on a First Nations-led landscape-scale fire management strategy – a framework originally designed by the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation to protect both cultural heritage and ecological values.
Surveying the land for species at risk
The project focused on threatened species with deep ecological and cultural significance to Githabul Country. These include:
- Eastern bristlebird.
- Hollow-dependent gliders.
- Glossy black cockatoos.
- Brush-tailed rock wallabies.
- Spiny crayfish.
Using this knowledge, the team developed tailored fire management recommendations to safeguard habitats and species. With support from researchers and conservation organisations, the collaborative effort produced practical recommendations around habitat protection, optimal fire intervals, and operational planning.
Of all of the strategies considered, low-intensity mosaic burning emerged as a key tool for reducing future wildfire risks while supporting grassy ecosystems and keeping wildlife corridors intact.
Key collaborators on this project included:
- Githabul (Waringh Waringh) – Uncle Sam Bonner, Melissa Chalmers, Nathan Charles, Toni Chalmers and the rest of the family group: for cultural insight, knowledge and guidance.
- BirdLife Australia – Callan Alexander.
- Glossy Black Conservancy – Mike Barth.
- Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (Wildlife Queensland) – Paul Revie, Jessica Lovegrove-Walsh, Tamielle Brunt (PlatypusWatch) & Matt Cecil.
- Connect4Conservation – Liz Gould.
The work was undertaken through funding from the Australian Government.
ICCB 2025 is the world’s largest gathering of conservation biologists, with 1800+ attendees from over 90 countries exchanging knowledge and shaping global impact.
Interested in collaborating on a similar project? Reach out to us:
