YAC represents at Indigenous Desert Alliance Forum

Representatives from the Ngurrara Rangers and Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation travelled to Fremantle last week for an intense three-day forum on desert management. The forum, organised by the Indigenous Desert Alliance, aims to connect Indigenous rangers from Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, and gives them the space to discuss management issues particular to desert country.

During this year’s annual forum, there were talks on the night parrot, fire management, two-way learning, threatened species and the threats posed by predators, such as foxes and cats. Chantelle Murray, Frankie McCarthy, Joycelyn McCarthy and Eloise Page represented Yanunijarra, and Chantelle and Frankie did a great job in an impromptu discussion about our work collecting data on bilbies. We also put in a joint poster presentation with Track Care. The poster, pictured above, is titled Warrakammarnu Mapirrilu, which means working together. It tells the story of Track Care and Yanunijarra's joint effort to build a Ranger Base at Well 49 on the Canning.

In addition to rangers, the forum was also attended by the Honourable Ben Wyatt MLA, and representatives from Pew Charitable Trusts (who have been driving the Country Needs People Campaign), the CSIRO, and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

All in all, it was a fantastic opportunity to come together with other desert rangers and to learn about other projects that are underway.

A big thank you to the Indigenous Desert Alliance!