We feel it is important to share what we
and those we work with are achieving and learning together

Islands of power pride and process

Rangers, Traditional Owners, and Community leaders from three Torres Strait Island Ranger groups (Erub, Mua and Mer Islands) converged on Thursday Island in late October. The mission - create three Working-on-Country plans in 3 days, for 3 Ranger groups, or as much of them as we could!

We meet together... a banksia award finalist

Manyangurr ngulumbara dhelkunya Djandaki murrupi – 'We meet together to return good health to country and spirit'. This was the guiding vision of the Dja Dja Wurrung Joint Management Planning partnership, led by Dhelkunya Dja Land Management Board, with CSIRO, Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, Dja Dja Wurrung Enterprises and Conservation Management.  

Open Standards / Healthy Country Planning – Planning and adaptive management for protected areas

Registrations are open for a 5-day  Open Standards / Healthy Country Planning workshop focusing on the diverse Liffey Valley, adjacent to the Tasmanian Wilderness WHA. The course runs from Monday 27th January to Friday 31st January 2020,  in Poatina, Tasmania.

Bison once roamed the great plains – A case study for training in Open Standards for the practice of conservation

Bison once roamed the Great Plains of the Americas in the millions – a central element of the socio-cultural and ecological processes that defined pre-European America. In an all-to-familiar story, the bison were largely eradicated to both cripple the Native American people and open up these rangelands for the use of new species.

A Natural Legacy - Revitalising private land conservation in South Australia for nature, people and thriving rural landscapes

Voluntary conservation commitments by landholders have a vital role to play in protecting South Australia’s native wildlife and sustaining thriving rural landscapes. Many landholders have committed to conservation by entering into a Heritage Agreement. There are now more than 1,600 Heritage Agreements protecting more than 1.8 million hectares.

Communicating change – Northern and Yorke NRMB – doing it the right way

Northern and Yorke NRM Board (N&Y NRMB) have, for over ten years, been actively engaging with the communities within their region.  Conservation Action Planning (developed within the Open Standards) has been the mechanism by which they both develop plans and programs and engage with the communities.

Pacific Ocean litter project

Henderson Island is a wakeup call for us all. Reported last year, the island is one of the world’s most remote and uninhabited, part of the Pitcairn group, but with the dubious honour of also having the world’s most polluted beaches. I have been thinking about Henderson Island a lot following a week in Apia, Samoa.

Broome Healthy Country Planning MERI training course, October

Registration now closed for the 3-day Healthy Country Planning MERI training course from Tuesday, the 15th of October to Thursday the 17h of October, in Broome. The training uses the well proven interactive adult learning approach developed by the Conservation Coaches Network over many years - groups working together using their own materials, and exposing their work to other groups for feedback.

Refreshing healthy country plans important for strong community ownership

In western Arnhem Land there is a cluster of adjacent Indigenous Protected Areas that have all adopted the Healthy Country Planning approach to operating their ranger teams. Warddeken, Djelk, ASRAC, Mimal and Jawoyn have all created strong community-based plans that guide their day to day work and help to look after the health of some of our most important peoples and country.

There’s an important movement taking shape across Canada

Without doubt the smell of the spruce-bough floor of our wall tent made for one of my most memorable camping experiences. That and the small wood-fired stove – never had a tent with one of those before. Oh, and the huge and comfortable sleeping bags. Or it could be the frozen solid tube of toothpaste – minus 30 degrees celsius overnight will do that.