Connection by Fire: A New Chapter for Ngurang

Published 29th January 2025. Written by Maddison O’Brien

In November 2024, Watershed Landcare and the North East Wiradjuri Company (NEWco) celebrated an exciting milestone—the success of their joint grant application through Landcare Australia. Their co-led project, Connection by Fire, is set to combine cultural land management and biodiversity monitoring at Ngurang Reserve, just outside Rylstone.

At the heart of the project is a cultural burn planned for winter. This ancient practice will clear built-up debris, reduce fire risks, and create conditions for native plants to flourish. The increase in plant diversity will provide vital habitat for a variety of wildlife species.

To deepen understanding of these impacts, the team has partnered with Annabell Murray, a research assistant from Western Sydney University and UNSW Master’s student. Annabell’s study will assess the ecological response of woodland vegetation to cultural cool burns, offering valuable insights into how the landscape responds before and after the burn.

Community engagement is a key element of Connection by Fire. One highlight is an upcoming community songline walk led by Uncle Peter Swain, where participants will hike through the reserve while learning to interpret the landscape, share cultural stories, and practice navigation skills.

Kelsey Williams from North East Wiradjuri co Putting the wildlife cameras in place at Ngurang Reserve

Wildlife monitoring is also a major focus of the project. Plans are underway to work with koala scent detection dogs, led by expert Candace Stott, to confirm and track the presence of koalas within the reserve. Recently, wildlife cameras installed over the holiday period captured diverse local fauna. Kelsey from the North East Wiradjuri Company and Maddi from Watershed Landcare retrieved the cameras, exploring the reserve’s beautiful scribbly gums, unique plants, and rock formations along the way.

Back at the NEWco Centre in Kandos, the team excitedly reviewed the footage. “It’s astonishing to see the diversity of species captured this way,” said Maddi. Images revealed lyrebirds, families of wallabies, and flocks of white-winged choughs. The highlight was a night recording that showed the distinctive silhouette of a koala, confirming its presence alongside recent song meter data that detects the vocal calls of these elusive tree dwellers. What’s even more exciting is the discovery of additional small mammals and birds captured on the cameras—some of which are yet to be identified. These species will remain a surprise, revealed during the upcoming workshop.

To uncover these secrets, the community is warmly invited to a Wildlife Camera Workshop with expert wildlife carer John Marshall on Thursday, February 6 2025, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Kandos. This free event, which includes morning tea, will teach attendees how to process camera data, identify wildlife, and discover what other fascinating species call Ngurang Reserve home. It promises to be an exciting day of discovery!

For more details and to RSVP, visit watershedlandcare.com.au/events. We hope to see you there!