Resilient, right solutions
“We need to talk with the Traditional Custodian’s because they’ve been managing Country for a really long time.”
After an incredible 18-year journey, working closely with Warddeken Land Management to help protect Country our formal partnership has come to an end. Over this time, we have built deep relationships with the organisation, staff and community, which will remain strong. As will our shared commitment to exploring strategic opportunities that support Indigenous land and sea management across our networks.
In 2007, our partnership journey began as we supported the development of Warddeken’s Indigenous Protected Area Plan of Management (2008-2013). A plan to ensure the sustainable management of the region and protect significant cultural sites under the direction of the Nawardekken Traditional Custodians. The plan helped in the 2009 declaration of the Warddeken Indigenous Protection Area (IPA), achieving protection by Traditional Custodians of an area that comprises 1.4 million hectares of stone and gorge country in west Arnhem Land.
“We have a strong partnership. Bush Heritage has been there from the beginning. It’s long term, and we learn and work together,” says Dean Yibarbuk, Traditional Custodian and Warddeken Chairperson.
Our support of the plan’s development and review process over the years, was foundational to our partnership, as we worked with Warddeken to expand their capacity in governance and ecology, and helped them to build strategic partnerships and financial sustainability. The latter included legal support, in-kind mentorships and training in philanthropic funding models.
Image Information
Kane Chenoweth, Warddeken Ranger, sets camera trap during biodiversity surveys. Photo by Warddeken Land Management.
Image Information
Warddeken Ranger conducts burn, drawing on traditional knowledge and Western science to manage Country. Photo by David Hancock for Warddeken Land Management.
– Alys Stevens, Ecologist for Warddeken from 2016–2020“There is value to a funding model where core positions, such as ecologists, are under the remit of the ranger program. This arrangement supports the greatest accountability to Traditional Owners for the management of Country. People know and trust the project as they've been central to building it.”
Bush Heritage helped recruit and partially fund Alys’ role, which found ways for Western science and traditional knowledge to work together. During this time, Warddeken developed the Mayh (animal) monitoring project to assess the impact of land management on Arnhem land’s small mammal populations, and in 2018, the organisation established the WAKADJAKA monitoring and evaluation committee to track the plan of management’s progress.
"Warddeken leads by example, showing that caring for Country and conservation needs collaboration; connecting family and culture, while building strong partnerships, to work together to create better conservation and people outcomes for Arnhem land. We stand strong separately but can always come back together," says Kelly Retief, Aboriginal Partnership Program Manager NT and QLD for Bush Heritage.
Now, Warddeken stands strong. The organisation has secure governance through its Board; it has invested in additional ecology positions, expanding capacity and opportunity; and it has diversified income streams to support a growing land management program into the future. At the heart of these achievements is a deep commitment to the organisation’s vision, ‘to see the recognition of Bininj knowledge and culture in land management and conservation’, passed down by Lofty and the founding Directors of Warddeken.
Bush Heritage is extremely proud to share this story with Warddeken, and while parting ways, we will always remain committed to our positive shared relationship.
