Kimberley Women Ranger exchange to boorloo
Twelve women rangers from the Kimberley embarked an Aboriginal Ranger Program exchange to Boorloo (Perth) earlier this month, eager to share knowledge and learn more about native plant conservation.
The rangers from the Bardi Jawi Oorany, Gooniyandi, Kija, and Balangarra teams had the opportunity to visit Kaarta Koombo (Kings Park), where they immersed themselves in hands-on learning alongside the Kings Park Botanical Gardens Seed Technical Centre team and the University of Western Australia. From seed harvesting to propogation, the rangers learnt technical skills whilst sharing their knowledge of the Kimberley regions seasonal patterns and plants.
A highlight of the trip was visiting the Wadjemup (Rottnest Island), where the rangers had the opportunity to take part in a quokka trapping exercise!
Upon arrival at Wadjemup the received a special welcome from the Traditional Owners and took part in a guided tour with Go Cultural Tours, who explained the island’s painful history.
The Kimberley rangers were inspired by the resilience and work of the Traditional Owners, Rottnest Heritage Team, DBCA Ranger team as they shared their vision for the future of the island to conserve and protect its heritage and revegetate the native plant species.
KLC Women’s Development Coordinator Zaripha Barnes described the trip as an incredible experience, saying ‘It was fantastic to see the women so inspired whilst learning about plant conservation and sharing their local knowledge of Country. We were very thankful for the welcome and the knowledge shared by everyone along the way, especially the Kings Park and Rottnest Island ranger teams.
Increasing the opportunities for exchanges for women rangers to understand regional, national, cultural and resource management perspectives was a priority outlined in the Kimberley Indigenous Women’s Ranger Strategy, so it was fantastic to have a such a successful trip to start off 2024’
The KLC would like to thank WWF, NIAA and DBCA for funding the trip, and acknowledge the hard work of the DBCA Aboriginal Ranger Program team for their efforts coordinating this incredible exchange.
