Twelve Indigenous rangers who trained in resource management at Charles Darwin University are among the winners of this year’s Landcare awards.
The Wagiman-Guwardagun Rangers won the Alcan Landcare Indigenous Award.
The Wagiman people fought for many years to get their title to their traditional lands in the Upper Daly region of the NT.
The rangers now carry out sustainable management projects with an annual fire management plan, feral pest control, weed management, aerial surveys and more.
The rangers’ graduated last year in the Certificate I VET course in resource management. They are now studying Certificate II.
Since graduating the rangers have also established bush soap production and encouraged younger people to train in resource management.
The Landcare awards, run by Landcare Australia, were presented in Melbourne on Tuesday night to projects that have had a significant conservation impact.
The individual winner was West Australian farmer Ian Stanley, who in the past 10 years has planted more than a million trees on his Kalannie property. He now exports eucalyptus oil to China and Japan.
Landcare Australia’s Chief Executive, Brian Scarsbrick, said the National Landcare Awards were a chance to salute individuals and groups making an environmental difference.