#PeopleofNRM – Jenna Brooker

Home 🞂 Newsroom 🞂 #PeopleofNRM – Jenna Brooker
Long-time supporters of NACC NRM will be familiar with the name Jenna Brooker and in light of her upcoming move from Geraldton to Perth, the team at NACC NRM would like to take this opportunity to thank Jenna for her years of support and wish her to all the best for the future.

Born and educated in Rhodesia Zimbabwe, Jenna migrated to Australia in 1972. She then studied a Diploma of Education in Melbourne, followed by Environmental Science at Murdoch University in the 1980s.

After working in coastal restoration in Bunbury and environmental management planning on the Canning and Swan rivers, Jenna then focused her work in the Midwest – conducting vegetation surveys, revegetation and community engagement activities.

It was in 1995 that Jenna and her husband Tony chose to call Geraldton their home and the region has become a lot richer for it.

Since then, Jenna has worn many hats and supported NACC NRM in various roles. In particular Jenna was integral in the development of Northern Agriculture Integrated Management Strategy also known as NAIMS (the predecessor to NACC). Working as a public servant for the then Department of Agriculture Jenna literally wrote the book on NRM in the NAR… when she constructed the original constitution for NAIMS.

Jenna’s passion for the environment and the community is unrivalled and her enthusiastic and determined personality is contagious. Some of the projects Jenna has been instrumental in delivering include:

  • The revival and ongoing backing of the Geraldton Regional Herbarium Group – a working group of volunteers who dedicate their time and efforts to improving, expanding and maintaining the herbarium collection now integrated into the DBCA collection.
  • Being a founding member of Chapman River Friends – this group holds a special place in Jenna’s heart and has played a key role in the preservation, restoration and conservation of the Chapman River Regional Park. Chapman River Friends is also well known for actively engaging with the community to raise awareness of the park and its biodiversity values.
  • Supporting the City of Greater Geraldton to move towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly activities, as well as partaking in rehabilitation projects, particularly in relation to foreshore rehabilitation.

Jenna has inspired many people with her passion and enthusiasm for all things environment and conservation, and while the team at NACC NRM – and the wider Midwest community – will miss Jenna, we are thrilled for the new adventures and opportunities which await her.

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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.