Research partnership earns international recognition

Lesley Patterson and Dr Michelle McKemey at Myall Creek cultural burn in September

07th Oct 2025

A unique long-term research partnership between the Banbai Rangers and Dr Michelle McKemey from the University of New England has achieved international recognition, with their latest scientific paper published in a leading global journal.
The Banbai Rangers, based in Guyra, manage Wattleridge Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) which was the first IPA declared in New South Wales. Working together since 2014, the team has studied the ecological and cultural benefits of reintroducing cultural burning to long-unburnt landscapes.
Their newest paper, published in the journal Fire (https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/9/367),
explores how Indigenous rangers and scientists are combining traditional fire knowledge with contemporary ecological research to manage land “the right way.” The findings show that cultural burns can protect threatened species, restore ecosystems, and reconnect people with Country while helping to reduce the risk of destructive wildfires.
“For thousands of years, Aboriginal peoples have cared for Country using fire as a cultural tool, but colonisation disrupted some of these practices and replaced them with Western fire strategies,” Dr McKemey said.
“Our study shows how Indigenous rangers and scientists are now working together to renew cultural burning and build ‘right way’ fire knowledge that blends cultural and scientific approaches.
“These practices protect threatened species, strengthen ecosystems, and revive cultural connections, while also reducing wildfire risks. The research highlights that Indigenous leadership, long-term support, and genuine partnerships are essential for cultural fire management to grow — offering a powerful model for resilience in our fire-prone future.”
The partnership between the Banbai Rangers and UNE began after Dr McKemey and Lesley Patterson first met at a conference in Tasmania in 2011. Since then, they have worked side by side at Wattleridge IPA and across northern NSW, sharing their story with audiences around Australia.
Their collaboration has produced seven internationally published papers and earned national recognition, including the Ecological Society of Australia’s Award for Right-way Science and the UNE Chancellor’s Doctoral Research Medal. Their work has also been featured by Australian Geographic, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, ABC News, and Gardening Australia.
“This is a big achievement for our Guyra-based team,” Dr McKemey said. “The lessons from our research, done right here in Guyra, are now being shared around the world — showing what’s possible when Indigenous knowledge and Western science work together with mutual respect.”
The Banbai Rangers continue to lead cultural burning and land management across northern NSW, with recent burns including the Myall Creek Memorial Site. Their ongoing partnership offers a model for how communities can collaborate to care for both people and the environment in a changing climate.

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Research partnership earns international recognition

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