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For thousands of years, Martu people used fire to manage their land in the arid Great Sandy Desert. This diversified the spinifex grasslands, resulting in a patchwork of fire scars and vegetation regrowth that sustained biodiversity and the traditional Martu way of life. 

However, in the 1950s and 60s, the Martu started moving off their lands and stopped traditional burning. This had a devastating effect on the desert ecosystem and lead to the extinction of numerous species. Higher fuel loads also resulted in larger, hotter wildfires. 

For the KJ team, it was vital to work with local communities and draw on their ancestral practises. Created in 2005, this Martu organisation has developed a series of cultural, environmental and social programmes to help manage the land, build a viable economic model, and offer young people more opportunities. 

Combining ancestral knowledge and modern technology 

Their Waru (fire) programme shares fire expertise between generations, while also training rangers from within the community. The knowledge of water and cultural sites acquired by the elders has been mapped using modern navigation equipment. The rangers are also equipped with robust vehicles and helicopters for aerial burning. 

The KJ team hopes to train more and more Martu rangers and continue enabling local communities to look after their land through a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques. 

Would you like to help the team achieve this?