Ecocultural monitoring reveals low impact of a Dharug dhiyina (women’s) guwiyang (fire) in an urban national park, Australia

Indigenous-led fire stewardship is increasingly recognised as important for ecological and cultural resilience; however, remains rare in urban landscapes due to regulatory barriers, fear and risk aversion. This study aligned with the first Dharug dhiyina (women’s)-led guwiyang (fire) since European invasion of Bidyiwung Badhu Nuru (Brown’s Waterhole) some 230 years ago, in what is now the urban Lane Cove National Park, Sydney. Using a collaborative cross-cultural monitoring approach, we evaluated ecological parameters before and after the guwiyang and at three control sites: a modified BACI design. We assessed fuel loads, fire and soil properties, and culturally significant plants and mammals.The low-intensity, patchy guwiyan g had low flame height, slow rate of spread, and significantly reduced surface, near-surface and elevated fuel loads. Following the guwiyang , we observed basal resprouting of the culturally significant medicinal plant Dybung/Mambara (Geebung, Persoonia linearis ). As desired by the Dharug women, dominant species, Daynya ( Dodonaea triquetra ) and Gurgi ( Pteridium esculentum; Calochlaena dubia ) significantly declined post-burn, with short-term regrowth. No significant change was detected in soil properties or activity of Burraga (long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles nasuta ) or Bagarayi (swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor ), indicating low guwiyang impact, consistent with the intent of the Dharug guwiyang for the dense urban woodland context.This study of a rare Indigenous-led cultural burn in an urban setting demonstrates the mechanics of a cross-cultural partnership that adopted a two-way science approach. We combined Indigenous values and Western science to provide evidence of reduced fuel loads and low ecological impact of the guwiyang . Such studies can abate the fear surrounding fire in urban ecosystems, especially those managed by Indigenous custodians. With growing wildfire risks linked to climate change, cross-cultural collaborations offer valuable pathways for ecological and cultural resilience in urban areas.