This 15-minute presentation by Aunty Lesley Patterson (Banbai Rangers) and Michelle McKemey (Melaleuca Environmental) will showcase a practical and interdisciplinary approach to Indigenous-led cultural burning and biocultural land management on Banbai Country in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, developed through long-standing collaboration with Banbai Rangers and Melaleuca Environmental Consultancy Services. The presentation will highlight how Banbai cultural fire practices—grounded in seasonal knowledge, on-Country decision-making, and cross-cultural ecological monitoring—have been applied alongside broader regional initiatives such as the NSW Cool Burning for Culture and Ecological Knowledge project and the Strong Culture–Healthy Country program to restore box-gum grassy woodlands, support threatened species, strengthen community connection to Country, and build shared ecological understanding. It will also reflect on findings from Melaleuca Environmental’s research into legal and institutional barriers to cultural burning, outlining practical pathways for enabling Indigenous custodians to lead cultural fire within contemporary land-management systems. Together, these experiences demonstrate how Indigenous knowledge, scientific collaboration, and policy-informed practice can be integrated to advance culturally grounded fire stewardship, directly aligning with the ISE Congress 2026 theme Indigenous and Local Knowledge Connections: Honouring Heritage and Innovation.