ABC News Australia 'Indigenous knowledge combines with Western science to look after country'

'Tribal elder and Yugul Mangi Ranger Winston Thompson knows that when the dragonflies come, so too will the cold.

He knows that when the grass turns brown, the dikdik — Leichardt's grasshoppers — are on their way.

And in April, after the rains have stopped, burning can begin again.

"Indigenous people around the world use the phrase: 'You look after Mother Nature, and Mother Nature will look after you'," Mr Thompson said.

"It means to look after the country, and the country will provide you with bushfood, air that we breathe, water that we drink, and using traditional way of not over-collecting the plants and animals that we use as food source."

Mr Thomson and the Yugul Mangi Rangers of southeast Arnhem Land carry an ancient oral tradition of looking after country, but now they're joining forces with non-Indigenous scientists to put their knowledge down in ink.

They've recently produced a calendar detailing their profound knowledge of the seasons, and when and how to burn to best manage the land and avoid wildfires.'

Excerpt from ABC Australia report of November 28 2019.

‘We are doing cool burning now, right time burning.’ – Julie Roy

‘The right time to burn is when it is cool and the fire burns slowly... when we have heavy dew in the morning and the afternoon... The wind picks up usually midday and then we burn and that helps us push the fire along... The more time you burn when it is cooler, the more carbon credits you get.’ – Clarry Rogers

Julie Roy and Clary Rogers as quoted in the Yugul Mangi Rangers seasonal calendar.

Read the full report here

Download the Yugul Mangi seasonal calendar here.