Strengthening partnerships with Traditional Owners is helping us manage land for conservation. We share many of the same common goals; protecting habitat, land stewardship, and involving the community in conservation. Working together makes sense.

In 2019, in partnership with Greening Australia and Bank Australia, we engaged Traditional Owners from Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation to undertake a cultural survey of the Bank Australia property. It was the first time the representatives of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagalk Nations had been engaged to undertake a survey not associated with a destructive development. Culturally important scar trees and a women’s area on the property were identified. We are continuing to work with Traditional Owners to incorporate traditional land management practises on the reserve, such as traditional burning.

We were also delighted to have on board a school-based trainee, Yasmin Harradine, a Wotjobaluk Traditional Owner.  As part of the traineeship, Yasmin has been introduced to a range of land management activities from the prosaic, such as fencing, spot spraying weed species, through to moving logs for reptile habitat, identifying hollows for the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, and sampling water for DNA analysis.

She said some of her highlights include seeing a flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos and showing Traditional Owners and elders around the property. “The elders were really impressed with the improvements that have been made to the property,” Yasmin said. “Working with a fencing contractor who was employed to relocate a pile of logs and place them strategically around the property was also a highlight. I learned so much about log relocation and how important logs are to animals.” Yasmin has been a great member of the team, and we thank her for all her hard work during her traineeship.