Our Partners
Bawinanga Rangers
Previously known as the Djelk Rangers, the Bawinanga Rangers are considered the early leaders of Australia’s Indigenous land management movement.
Formed by traditional owners in the early 1990s in response to growing environmental concerns over feral animals, invasive weeds and wildfire, the rangers have worked to keep their land and sea country in western Arnhem Land healthy ever since.
The Bawinganga Rangers service an area of over 10,000 square kilometres that includes more than 30 family-based outstation communities.
They’re based in the community of Maningrida and operate as part of the Bawinanga Corporation.
Partner Details
NAME: Bawinanga Rangers
WEB: http://www.bawinanga.com
PHONE: (08) 8979 6530
Address
Lot 712, Maningrida NT
Social
PROJECT CASE STUDY:
Traditional Owner Engagement
At the end of the 2018 fire season, the Bawinanga Rangers set a goal of increasing traditional owner participation in fire management.
At the end of the 2018 fire season, the Bawinanga Rangers set a goal of increasing traditional owner participation in fire management.
During 2019 pre-season planning, 73 traditional owners and customary land managers were consulted about how they wished to see fire management occur on their clan estate.
These consultations facilitated the establishment of collaborative plans to ensure rangers involved the right people in burning operations for both ground and aerial works.
In 2019, a total of 24 traditional owners were involved in Bawinanga’s planned burn operations, guiding the helicopter pilot and incendiary machine operator across their country, and making decisions about where and how much to burn.
Rangers and traditional owners completed 8,651 km of aerial burning, undertaken over a total of 100 hours flight time in May, June and July.
Directing aerial burning allows traditional owners to connect deeply with their country, and, for landowners of more remote clan estates, offers them an opportunity to visit parts of their country that they would otherwise not be able to access.
Direct involvement in aerial burning also allows traditional owners to make important managerial decisions about fire, and is one of the elements that makes Bawinanga’s fire management best practice.
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Savanna Burning Methodology
Australia’s vast and ecologically intact northern tropical savannas are extremely flammable, and fire is arguably the most important tool that Aboriginal people have for looking after country.
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