A whole lotta melons

NACC’s new Midwest Aboriginal Ranger Program is up-and-running and already ‘kicking goals’ with conservation projects and outcomes across the region.
Home 🞂 Newsroom 🞂 A whole lotta melons
NACC’s new Midwest Aboriginal Ranger Program is up-and-running and already ‘kicking goals’ with conservation projects and outcomes across the region.

The Aboriginal Rangers recently provided a valuable contribution to a revegetation project being undertaken by the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in the Moresby Range Conservation Park.

Aboriginal Rangers – employed through Program partner Western Mulga – removed more than 1.6 tonnes of invasive weeds (melons) from revegetation areas scheduled for planting during winter 2018.

The melons (Citrullus lanatus) are known as Afghan or camel melons, and are frequently also referred to locally as ‘paddy melons’.  They originate from Africa, and are very drought tolerant – often the only plant left surviving after a summer drought.

DBCA Geraldton Flora Conservation Officer Alanna Chant said the 2018 revegetation site had become infested with the melon following summer rains in 2015 and 2016.

“Whilst the area will be sprayed for weeds prior to planting, the seed contained within the melons would remain present and ready to germinate when new seedlings are establishing,” she said.

“Removal of the paddy melons is labour intensive work, but we have now given the next lot of native seedlings planted a much greater chance of survival.

“Since paddy melons are a summer weed, they germinate when the new seedlings are at their most vulnerable.”

The Western Mulga Ranger teams are also participating in the collection of native seeds that will be propagated for future planting.

“As the Moresby Revegetation project aims to plant a large diversity of species, seed collection can determine what we might achieve in terms of planting diversity,” Alanna said.

“Any assistance with obtaining the required seed will make a huge contribution to achieving the desired diversity.”

Gunnado on Country Training

Another team participating in the Midwest Aboriginal Ranger Program – the Gunnado on Country Training team (who are undertaking a TAFE certificate in Conservation) – also participated in seed collection at the reserve, and will assist with future seed cleaning.

The Moresby Revegetation project, jointly funded by DBCA and NACC, aims to replenish the biodiversity of the Moresby Range.  The first stage of this project included planting 40,000 seedlings of 32 species over 16ha during the winter of 2017.  The second stage aims to revegetate a similar sized area adjoining stage one, to be planted during winter 2018.

The project will assist in the protection and maintenance of environmental values and natural assets by restoring habitat for:

  • Five Threatened Flora: Eucalyptus cuprea, Grevillea bracteosa subsp howatharra, Drummondita ericoides, Caladenia hoffmanii and Leucopogon marginatus.
  • Various Priority Flora: Acacia gunettii, Grevillea triloba, Androcalva microphylla.
  • One Threatened Fauna: Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris).

 

The Moresby Range Revegetation project has benefited from community involvement throughout the project, including from NACC, the Geraldton Herbarium Group, the Greenough Prison, and Central Regional TAFE.

Planting in winter 2018 will provide another opportunity for people to volunteer, to see how last year’s plants are doing, and to plant another 40,000 seedlings.

 

The Midwest Aboriginal Ranger Program is supported by NACC through the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy.

 

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In 2020-21 I talked about ‘raising the bar’. In 2021-22 we worked on setting the bar on fire. Over the last 12 months, the team at NACC NRM has not stopped.

The Sustainable Agriculture team has extended the program’s reach through collaborations with grower groups in the regions. Specifically, the Beyond Reasonable Drought project and Grower Group Alliance – South West WA Drought Innovation Hub – Geraldton Node project. The Beyond Reasonable Drought partnership with grower groups supported farmers across the region to improve the environmental sustainability of their agricultural production and drought resilience. The outcomes of this project have been consolidated through our successful Expression of Interest to the South West WA Drought Innovation Hub, with support from grower groups across the region, to host the Geraldton Node of the Hub. The program continues to focus on working with agricultural networks to share technical expertise and provide opportunities that will improve land management practices in agriculture across the region.

The conservation outcomes of ranger teams have expanded through work on several land tenures. Maintaining Heritage sites such as Willi Gulli, Racecourse Paddock and Buller River has long been a priority. During 2021-22, the teams have increasingly focused on threatened species and ecosystems.

To this end, Western Mulga rangers have improved management across 19,000 ha for the conservation of Malleefowl through firebreak and access management. They completed the maintenance of water holes and supported the monitoring of over 90 Malleefowl mounds.

Similarly, the Kwelena Mambakort Aboriginal Corporate ranger team have contributed positively to Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo populations by installing artificial hollows and habitat restoration.

All ranger teams have collected native seed, propagated native plants for restoration, and planted native vegetation in key locations across the NAR. Seed collection provides valuable industry experience and has facilitated the planting of over 100,000 seedlings during the year.   

In September 2021, the NACC NRM team delivered the WA Threatened Species Forum, held in tandem with the National Malleefowl Forum. Given the impact of COVID and the timing of this event, having more than 100 delegates from all over Australia was a significant achievement. The two Forums brought together 12 events over five days and featured 14 local artists, 25 businesses and 36 youth participants.

Following the successful relaunch of our updated NARvis, NACC NRM was invited to help lead a significant piece of strategic planning work for the region with Mid West Development Commission and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. With funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the consortia delivered a Regional Drought Resilience Plan covering the shires of Northampton and Chapman Valley and the City of Greater Geraldton, along with significant technical analysis of drought vulnerability for the South West land division. The development of this plan also included extensive community consultation to ensure that local knowledge and technical advice guided the development of priorities for action.

This planning work links to existing NACC NRM on-ground projects, including Beyond Reasonable Drought and the Chapman Catchment Collaborative regeneration project.

It was a busy year for events with face-to-face events becoming commonplace again. During 2021-22 we hosted events in Gingin, Moora, Dalwallinu, Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Walkaway, Nabawa, Perenjori, Kalannie and Morawa. We supported events in Karakin, Thundellara, Perenjori, Paynes Find, Wubin, Cataby, Warradarge, Northampton, Yuna, Dalwallinu and Dandaragan.

We also supported on-ground works throughout the region, including at the following locations Yuna, Dalwallinu, Dandaragan, Merkanooka, Goodlands, Kalannie, Bunjil, Yardarino, Canna, Kondut, Latham, Kadathinni, Nabawa, Red Gully, Sandy Gully, Waddy Forrest, Devils Creek, Perenjori, Bowgada, Ellendale, Wandana, Namban, Hill River, Warradarge, Gillingarra, Regans Ford and Moonyanooka.

Our region is vast – slightly larger than Tasmania, which for comparison, is serviced by three separate NRM organisations. Covering the NAR region and its many environmental threats is challenging. We continue to focus on partnerships and collaboration to address this challenge. We know that by working with our community through passionate delivery of collaborative on-ground projects and education, the community will value and actively protect our region’s natural capital.

This year we have launched a new Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP Working Group consulted widely and developed an Innovate RAP which Reconciliation Australia approved in March 2022. The activities to fulfil these commitments are now in full swing.

Sadly, at the end of 2021, we farewelled former NACC NRM CEO Shelley Spriggs, who lost a long battle with cancer. Shelley was an inaugural inductee to the NRM Leadership Honour Roll. I will always be grateful for her guidance and no-nonsense approach, not to mention her passion for life.

While we have said farewell to some, we have welcomed many new faces across all programs, including our Administration team. We have also hosted a school-based trainee from Nagle Catholic College who has been working towards a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. This trial position has been very successful, and we look forward to making this opportunity available again in 2023.

During 2022 we have taken on new projects that align with our organisational and program objectives, and we have successfully completed some great initiatives that support continued conservation and sustainability outcomes. I want to thank the whole team who continue to go above and beyond for the organisation and each other proving their ongoing commitment to our purpose and our values.