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Boxthorns along the River Murray near Tailem Bend being controlled by the Murray Bridge ALOC team
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Restoring the banks of the Murray
The Murray Bridge Aboriginal Learning on Country (ALOC) team has been working with Natural Resources SAMDB staff to remove African boxthorns (Lycium ferocissimum) from the banks of the River Murray near Tailem Bend.
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 large African boxthorns near Tailem Bend had been a concern for some time but had proven difficult to control due to their size and the inaccessible nature of the area. Despite these challenges the ALOC team did a fantastic job ridding the riverbank of this noxious weed and helping to improve the health of the River Murray.
The team, who recently achieved their Certificate IV in Conservation and Land Management, has also undertaken a range of other projects along the River Murray, in the Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges and on the Fleurieu Peninsula. These have included revegetation, fencing, rabbit control, pine tree removal, fauna surveys, wetland management and historic dry-stone wall repair (see article later in this newsletter). They have worked with a range of other partners including Local Action Planning groups, local Councils and the Nature Foundation SA.
The Aftrican boxthorn project was a partnership between the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority, Ngarrindjeri Ruwe Contracting and Natural Resources SAMDB, and is partly supported by the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the NRM levy.
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The Gerard Aboriginal Learning on Country (ALOC) team watching the water starting to flow back into an important wetland at Gerard
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Gerard environmental watering
The frogs have started calling again across the Gerard floodplain thanks to an environmental watering project that has pumped life back into this important environmental and cultural site.
The watering, which is part of a larger program of works being undertaken at Gerard, involved pumping water from the Murray River into a large wetland to maintain the health of the area in the absence of regular floods that would have occured naturally. The project has inundated large areas of lignum (Duma florulenta), provided water for mature river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) trees, and helped to keep alive areas of regenerating saplings that germinated after the last floods.
The area is part of the larger Katarapko floodplain, and was identified as an important area by the Gerard community and the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region. The Gerard Aboriginal Learning on Country (ALOC) team have undertaken most of the works and monitoring associated with the project in partnerships with the Natural Resources SAMDB Wetlands and Floodplains Team.
The Gerard ALOC team and the environmental watering project is supported by the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme and the NRM levy.
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The new trainees (front row) who have joined the team at Monarto Zoo (photo: Robyn Bishop)
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New faces at Monarto
The Monarto Aboriginal Learning on Country (ALOC) team has recently more than doubled in size with the recruitment of a new trainee and three school-based apprentices.
Three of the trainees – Shaq Karpany, Brayden Kartinyeri and Rossi Thorpe - are students at Murray Bridge High School and will be undertaking on-the-job training at Monarto Zoo one day a week. They will work towards gaining a Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management which will count towards attaining their SACE certificates.
Anna Day is a new full time trainee who will work towards a Certificate IV in Conservation and Land Management. Leon (Scornzy) Dodd and Michael Holland are providing on ground training, supervision and mentoring of the new trainees.
The Monarto ALOC program provides employment and training opportunities for local Aboriginal people that will enable them to connect with country and develop skills to contribute to conservation and land management outcomes at Monarto Zoo and in the region.
The program is supported by ZoosSA, Santos and the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme and the NRM levy.
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Natural Resources SAMDB staff and Riverland Working on Country Rangers learning how to assess and record the health of scarred trees (photo: Isaac Lindsay)
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Monitoring the health of Chowilla's scarred trees
A tree health assessment training day was recently held in preparation for this year's monitoring of scarred trees at Chowilla in the Riverland.
The training involved Aboriginal staff of Natural Resources SAMDB, the Gerard Aboriginal Learning on Country (ALOC) team and the Riverland Working on Country (WOC) Rangers who are based at Calperum Station.
The Chowilla floodplain is an area of extremely high environmental and cultural importance. It is listed as a wetland of International Significance under the Ramsar Convention and is one of six icon sites under the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s Living Murray program.
Monitoring the health of culturally significant scarred trees at Chowilla was initiated in 2012 and is undertaken by the ALOC and WOC teams with the support of the First Peoples Coordinator and in consultation with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation.
The Living Murray program at Chowilla aims to reduce the loss of scarred trees by enabling large areas of floodplain to be flooded through the operation of environmental watering infrastructure.
The Living Murray is a joint initiative funded by the New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian, Australian Capital Territory and Commonwealth governments, coordinated by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.
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Members of the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region NRM Working Group and Natural Resources SAMDB staff following a Regional Action Planning workshop in Berri
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Planning for action!
What's important to you about your local environment and what needs to be done to look after it? These are the questions being discussed with Aboriginal groups across the region as part of the Regional Action Planning process – which will guide NRM effort and resourcing into the future.
Workshops have been held recently with the Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Inc and the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region. These workshops have identified a wide range of cultural values, the issues which are threatening or impacting on them, and the actions needed to address these issues.
Building this information into the Regional Action Plan will help to ensure that Aboriginal values are protected and that the Aboriginal community's vital role in managing our natural resources continues to grow into the future.
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Calperum Station where the recent South Australian Nations Water Workshop was held
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South Australian Nations Water Workshop
A very successful South Australian Nations Water Workshop was held in the Riverland at the beginning of April. The workshop, which focussed on the participation of South Australian Aboriginal Nations in water resource planning, drew people from across the Murray-Darling Basin region.
Participants spent three days talking about water-related issues such as the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, South Australian Water Resource Plans, appropriate water allocation, the strong relationship between Aboriginal culture and water management, funding issues, and how best to build respectful relationships between the government and Aboriginal people with an interest in water resource planning.
The event was held at Calperum Station, within the traditional boundaries of the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region. Representatives from nine different Aboriginal Nations attended, including Aboriginal people from South Australia, Victoria, and from as far away as Bourke in New South Wales.
A short video of the workshop has been produced to help make the concept of water resource planning much more accessible to everyone, particularly those that could not attend the workshop. To find out more about the Nations Water Workshop and water resource planning, see the video at https://youtu.be/8LOE_s7MZ08
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A beautifully restored section of historic dry-stone wall on Pine Hutt Rd near Eden Valley
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Restoring historic dry-stone walls
Recently a group of rangers from Ngarrindjeri Ruwe Contracting and the Ngopamuldi Aboriginal Corporation worked with stonemason Jon Moore to learn dry-stone walling and restore damaged sections of wall along Pine Hutt Rd near Eden Valley.
The historic walls, which were built between 1850 and 1880, were damaged by falling trees in the 2013 fires. The team worked on restoring damaged sections of wall, making sure that the repairs were consistent with the style of the original wall and using only original stone.
Following a week of dry-stone walling the team were trained in building mortared walls and built a wall at Raukkan using local limestone.
The project has made a valuable contribution to the conservation of our historic local dry-stone walls and has also helped to keep the knowledge and skills needed to look after them alive in the local community.
The project was facilitated by Bruce Munday of the Dry Stone Walls Association of Australia Inc and was supported by the SA Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme.
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Heidi Zielke, Sheryl Giles and Michelle Sumner undertaking an Aboriginal Waterways Assessment
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Cultural health of wetlands in the Riverland
The First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region (First Peoples) are trialling a new approach to assess and monitor the cultural health of wetlands, floodplains and creeks across the Riverland.
The Aboriginal Waterways Assessment (AWA), which was developed by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), has been recently trialled by First Peoples at Eckert's Creek, Putjeda Creek (Gerard) and Gurra Gurra Wetland.
Participants rate the health of a site using a detailed assessment of both its environmental health, and cultural values and uses.
The assessment process supports First Peoples' involvement in natural resources management and will help to ensure that their values and knowledge form a critical part of the planning and management of these areas into the future.
The project is supported by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources with funding from the MDBA.
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ALOC graduate's new role
Conway Johnson, formally a member of the Murray Bridge Aboriginal Learning on Country (ALOC) team, has begun working as a Project Officer with the Eastern Hills and Murray Plains Catchment Group.
In his new role Conway is involved in a wide range of activities across the Lower Murray area including supporting volunteers at the Murray Bridge Community Nursery, working with local Aboriginal groups, wetland management and monitoring, pest plant and animal control, community training, assisting local landholders, and environmental activities at local schools.
Congratulations on the new role Conway, and best of luck in the next stage of your career!
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Discussing native seed production with Murray Mallee LAP staff at a property neighbouring the Noora Basin
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First Peoples' tour of Noora Basin
Representatives from the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region (First Peoples) recently visited the Noora Basin in the Riverland. The tour was part of the process of engaging First Peoples in the updating of the Noora Prescribed Wells Area (PWA) Water Allocation Plan (WAP).
The group heard about the background and history of the Noora Basin, looked at the inlet and the process of pumping into the basin, and discussed the extensive revegetation and land management program taking place around the waterbodies.
In the afternoon, the Murray Mallee Local Action Planning (LAP) Association and local landholders showed the group a native seed orchard and discussed native seed collection, production and storage.
The tour was an initiative of the First Peoples NRM Working Group and was supported by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources and the Murray Mallee LAP Association.
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Ngaut Ngaut Conservation Park will be a major project site for the Green Army team
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MACAI Green Army
The Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Inc (MACAI) has successfully applied for two Green Army projects in the Mid Murray area.
Local community members will be employed on the Green Army team for 12 months and will work on a number of high priority sites including the Sugar Shack floodplain and Ngaut Ngaut Conservation Park.
The team will be involved in a range of activities including accredited training, fencing, revegetation, mapping, flora and fauna surveys, wetland management and monitoring, and protecting Aboriginal heritage sites.
Conservation Volunteers Australia will employ the team with funding from the Australian Government's Green Army Programme.
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Gerard ALOC at Wilabalangaloo
The Gerard Aboriginal Learning on Country (ALOC) team is developing a close working relationship with Berri Barmera Landcare (formerly known as Berri Barmera Local Action Planning).
The team recently spent the day with Berri Barmera Landcare staff at Wilabalangaloo near Berri to pick up plants from the nursery for Gerard and look around the property.
The groups also discussed a range of future opportunities for collaboration including seed collection and plant propagation, turtle management, and repairs and maintenance of the Wilabalangaloo property.
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Isaac Coen Lindsay, who is making a series of short films based on the Riverland Working on Country Rangers
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Riverland Working on Country documentaries
Young Riverland Filmmaker Isaac Coen Lindsay is creating a series of short documentaries about the Riverland Working on Country (WOC) Project at Calperum Station. The documentaries will focus on the WOC Rangers – what their work involves and what they have got out of working at Calperum.
Isaac, who has previously been involved with ABC Open, has been busy interviewing the rangers, getting footage of work life at Calperum, and editing the footage.
The project builds on the Most Significant Change evaluation of the WOC project which was done in 2015. The documentaries will explore the important outcomes the WOC project is having and will tell these stories in the Rangers' own words.
The first documentary focuses on Troy Cullingford who has, based on the skills, knowledge and qualifications gained as a WOC Ranger, set up his own contracting business - Munda Pest Management. By creating his own successful business Troy has enabled new people to come into the WOC team and also has aspirations of employing a team of his own in the future.
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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Isobelle Campbell, Aiden Holland and Ivy Campbell from the Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Inc at the Co-Management Workshop
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Co-management workshop
The second South Australian co-management workshop was held over two days in February at the Adelaide Zoo. The workshop brought representatives of co-management boards and advisory committees together to share progress, learn from each other, reinforce relationships and shape the future of co-management in South Australia.
A number of people involved in the co-management of Ngaut Ngaut Conservation Park in the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin region attended the workshop including members of the Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Inc, Isobelle Campbell, Ivy Campbell and Aiden Holland.
The key take home message from the sessions over the two days was that co-management has come a long way, yet there is still a lot of work to be done for all involved in the co-management journey. The workshop concluded with a range of priorities being identified for co-management in 2016 and 2017.
For more information on co-management in South Australia refer to http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/park-management/co-management-of-parks
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Five new casual Working on Country Ranger positions based at Calperum Station
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Opportunties at Calperum Station
A new short-term project at Calperum Station is offering opportunities to young members of the Riverand Aboriginal Community to experience life as a Working on Country (WOC) Ranger.
The program is providing five short-term casual positions for young people that are interested in being a Ranger and are keen to get some important training such as chainsaw use and ChemCert.
The five new staff will work under the guidance and mentoring of the senior WOC Rangers and it is hoped that some positions may be able to be made full-time in the future.
Creating pathways into the WOC team and providing opportunities for WOC Rangers to mentor young people were key recommendations from last year's Most Significant Change evaluation and this new initiative is contributing to these aims.
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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