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Setting up motion sensing cameras to detect wildlife at Butcher's Soak in the Murray Mallee
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First Peoples mallee wildlife surveys
An exciting new initiative of the First Peoples NRM Working Group is contracting members of the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee community to undertake wildlife surveys at culturally significant mallee soaks and rock holes.
The surveys, which are taking place at Butcher's Soak and Mercunda, aim to find out more about the environmental value of these important sites so that they can be better understood and managed into the future.
A range of survey techniques are being used at each site including motion sensing cameras, bird song meters, bat detectors, and the identification of wildlife tracks, scats and other traces such as bones.
It is hoped that more sites from across the mallee can be surveyed by First Peoples to build a better understanding of these important features of the mallee landscape.
The surveys are being coordinated by the Murray Mallee Local Action Planning Association with the support of the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation, SA Native Title Services, and the Natural Resources SAMDB Aboriginal Partnerships Program. The project is funded by the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme and the NRM levies.
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Some of the participants at a recent turtle conservation symposium in Canberra
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Canberra turtle symposium
Aboriginal staff from South Australia recently attended a three-day turtle symposium in Canberra to find out the latest about turtle conservation and present on the important work they are doing to protect turtles along the River Murray.
The group included staff from the Riverland Working on Country (WOC) program, the Murray Bridge Aboriginal Learning on Country (ALOC) team, Monarto Zoo ALOC, and Raukkan WOC and ALOC.
The symposium included research updates from leading turtle scientists across Australia and various activities being undertaken to protect turtles across the country were presented. Emerging threats to turtles were identified and the disease affecting the Bellinger snapping turtle was discussed in detail.
Symposium attendees were very impressed with the presentations made by the South Australians and with the work being done to conserve turtles in the lower parts of the River Murray. Based on some of the connections made in Canberra, some of the group subsequently assisted with trapping turtles at a range of sites as part of a national turtle research project (see story later in this newsletter).
The trip to Canberra was supported by the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the NRM levies.
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The MACAI Green Army team have been undertaking a range of important activities in the Mid Murray area such as wetland monitoring
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MACAI Green Army - looking after culture and land
The Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Inc (MACAI) with support from a number of organisations including Natural Resources SAMDB has been funded by the Australian Government’s Green Army Programme to have the local Aboriginal community protect and restore Aboriginal heritage values and look after nationally threatened species. Conservation Volunteers Australia provide on ground support.
This is the second Green Army project and builds on previous successful work. Since May the group has built a protective heritage fence at Sugar Shack, undertaken water and birdlife monitoring with the Natural Resources SAMDB staff, worked with the Parks fire team on decreasing fuel hazards at Ngaut Ngaut Conservation Park, put down erosion matting and built a heritage protection fence at Roonka Conservation Park, and undertaken a range of training.
A lot more will be achieved by this hard working group before the project finishes in September!
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Removing African boxthorns from the land around the Roundhouse in Murray Bridge
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Roundhouse boxthorns
Ngarrindjeri Ruwe Contracting has been working with Ranges to River District Officers from Natural Resources SAMDB to remove African boxthorns (Lycium ferocissimum) from the land around the Roundhouse, between the bridges and Hume Reserve, in Murray Bridge.
African boxthorn is one of Australia's most widespread weeds and is classified as a Weed of National Significance. It invades native vegetation, affects productive land, and can create dense thickets that harbour a range of other pest species such as rabbits, foxes and starlings.
The project was funded by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.
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Investigating the state of our turtles
Aboriginal teams have been assisting an important national turtle research project by looking at the distribution and abundance of turtles and testing their genetic variability along the length of the River Murray in South Australia.
The groups involved in the research included the Riverland Working on Country Rangers, the Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Inc's Green Army team, Ngarrindjeri Ruwe Contracting staff, and Raukkan Working on Country and Aboriginal Learning on Country Rangers.
The research was being conducted by the Western Sydney University as part of a larger ARC Linkage project investigating turtles and their conservation.
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First Peoples and Landcare staff discussing a project to re-establish the critically endangered spiny daisy at Wilabalangaloo
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First Peoples landcare tour
Landcare groups in the Riverland recently hosted a tour for the First Peoples NRM Working Group. The tour showcased a range of amazing environmental projects and provided an opportunity for First Peoples and community Landcare staff to get to know each other and explore opportunities to work together more in the future.
The tour started at Bookmark Creek in Renmark, where the local Bookmark Creek Action Group talked about their work, their interest to find out more about the Aboriginal heritage of the area, and opportunities for people to join the group and volunteer at the site.
The group then travelled to Paringa Paddock in Renmark to get an update on the wetland's restoration. This was good to see as First Peoples visited the site several years ago and had significant input into the wetland's management plan.
At Wilabalangaloo the group looked at a planting of the critically endangered spiny daisy (Acanthocladium dockeri) and discussed the Wilabalangaloo nursery and volunteering opportunities for the local community.
The day ended with a site visit to Banrock Station to look at the wetland and nursery, and hear about the management of the property and the revegetation program being undertaken.
As well as being an enjoyable and informative day, a number of things have already happened as a result of the tour including a heritage survey and Aboriginal art project at Bookmark Creek, and a partnership with Banrock Station to host future First Peoples Working Group meetings and look at displaying and selling First Peoples art works.
The tour was organised by Loxton District Landcare, Renmark Paringa Landcare, Berri Barmera Landcare, Riverland West Landcare, and the Natural Resources SAMDB Aboriginal Partnerships Program, and was supported by the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme and the NRM levies.
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Clinton Walker started with the Raukkan ALOC team as a school-based apprentice and is now the team's supervisor
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New Raukkan ALOC supervisor
Clinton Walker is the new supervisor of the Raukkan Aboriginal Learning on Country (ALOC) team.
Clinton, who started with the program as a school-based apprentice several years ago, has worked hard to reach this level. He has achieved a Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management and is currently studying for Certificate IV.
The Raukkan ALOC team undertakes a wide range of training and work around Raukkan and the Narrung Peninsula including protecting threatened species, wetland management, controlling weeds and feral animals, revegetation, fencing, and fauna and flora surveys.
Congratulations Clinton on this fantastic achievement and for making such an important contribution to looking after our precious natural resources!
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Motion sensing camera photograph of feral pigs in and around a trap in the Riverland
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Controlling feral pigs in the Riverland
The Natural Resources SAMDB Riverland Cultural Rangers have been involved in the control of a range of feral animals and one of them is feral pigs. They first started the program back in 2012 when they were ALOC trainees.
Pigs are one of the most destructive feral animals for native flora and fauna as they dig up flats and river banks causing erosion. They have also been known to carry tuberculosis. Feral pig breeding habits are very prolific as a young sow can give birth at the age of 7-12 months and usually has one or two litters each year of around six piglets.
The pig trapping program has been successful at controlling pig numbers in the parks. A few years ago up to 11 pigs were caught in a trap whereas now pig numbers are so low only one to three pigs are caught every now and then. Well over 300 pigs have been caught over the years and it's getting hard to find them now.
Like rabbits, pigs do a fair amount of damage to the sensitive cultural sites in the Riverland as they seem to like the easy digging on the sandy areas. Being able to control pigs has been a sometimes frustrating task over the years but it has also been very rewarding to finally get a bit of an upper hand on them!
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Gerard Country Rangers working to protect the threatened riverine flax-lily at Ramco in the Riverland
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Protecting threatened plants at Ramco
The Gerard Country Rangers have been working with Riverland West Landcare to protect an area of threatened riverine flax-lily (Dianella porracea) at Ramco Lagoon near Waikerie.This plant is listed as vulnerable in South Australia and is generally found growing in sandy areas on River Murray floodplains.
Recent work at the site has included digging up and removing the invasive weed gazania, fumigating rabbit warrens, installing a new access gate, and checking and repairing the fencing.
The Gerard Country Rangers are supported by the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme and the NRM levies.
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Discussing irrigation and ground water use at a mallee pistachio farm
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First Peoples mallee tours
The First Peoples NRM Working Group has recently visited the mallee to be part of important water resource planning activities and to hear about local community projects.
In January the group visted the Brown's Well area as part of a workshop to include Aboriginal information into amendments to the Peake, Sherlock and Roby Water Allocation Plan and the Mallee Water Allocation Plan. The workshop included site visits to Butcher's Soak and a large pistachio plantation which was irrigated with groundwater.
In May the Murray Mallee Local Action Planning Association hosted a tour of the Sandalwood area, looking at a revegetation project to re-establish critical habitat for threatened mallee birds, such as the mallee emu wren, and looking at an area of native vegetation that was recovering from a recent fire. District Officers from Natural Resources SAMDB also attended the tour and spoke with the group about their role and current projects happening in the Mallee and Coorong District.
The tours were supported by the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme and the NRM levies.
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Calperum Working on Country Rangers give an update on their project to the First Peoples NRM Working Group at Banrock Station
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Riverland Working on Country update
Rangers from the Riverland Working on Country (WOC) project recently attended a First Peoples NRM Working Group meeting at Banrock Station to update the group on their work at Calperum and Taylorville Stations.
The rangers discussed the various activities they were involved in such as pest plant and animal control, plant propagation and revegetation, wetland management and environmental watering, and undertaking fauna surveys.
The working group also discussed opportunities for the WOC rangers to work more closely with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation on heritage training, surveys and management across the Riverland and mallee.
More information on the project, including a short video, can be found at http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/samurraydarlingbasin/projects/all-projects-map/aboriginal-partnerships
The Riverland WOC project is a partnership between the Australian Landscapes Trust and Natural Resources SAMDB and is supported by the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the Australian Government.
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