About

Our vision and aim

Indigenous rangers protect, manage and monitor vast areas of Country Australia-wide. Yet there is limited clear guidance on which monitoring tools to use, how to optimise methods, and how to manage data while maintaining data sovereignty.

This project is building a website aimed at Indigenous Land and Sea Country Managers that:

• Provides concise, standardised guidance on appropriate technologies and protocols for monitoring and evaluating on-Country management activities.
• Provides a suite of tools and resources that complement this guidance.
• Identifies pathways to securely manage monitoring data and associated Indigenous Knowledge for future generations.

Why do we need to monitor?

Monitoring means keeping track of changes on Country. It can use Traditional Ecological Knowledge supported by modern scientific methods. By writing down what you see, taking measurements, recording sounds, collecting samples or taking photos, you can collect information on the things we care about, like native plants, native animals, water or cultural sites, and the things we worry about, like weeds, invasive/feral animals or wrong-way fire.

When you monitor over time, the information can tell important stories about Country. It can show you if Country is healthy – like finding more bilbies or seeing more healthy plants on Country. It can also warn you when something is wrong – like finding weeds in more places or water becoming dirty. Monitoring can also tell you if management of Country is working – like whether right-way burning is bringing back spinifex or if trapping feral cats is helping native mammals survive. You can also learn new things about Country – like finding a plant species you haven’t seen before or tracking how vegetation is responding to climate change. This information adds to your knowledge of Country and helps with making decisions about caring for Country. It can also be useful for others like scientific researchers, conservation organisations or the government.

Our approach

Governance

• We established a User Advisory Group, comprising Indigenous and non-Indigenous practitioners and subject-matter experts at the start of the project. 
  The Advisory Group provides advice and guidance to the project team.

Review of monitoring methods

• We identified methods, protocols, standards and guidelines currently available and routinely used by Indigenous practitioners.
• We identified gaps and needs for new guidance through a consultative co-development process

Development of fit-for-purpose environmental monitoring guidance

• We are building on proven programs already used by Indigenous practitioners.
• We are ensuring guidance is both scientifically robust and culturally appropriate.
• We are co-developing and validating monitoring methods and technologies to ensure they are fit-for-purpose and appropriate for on-Country use.
• We are leveraging methods emerging from other projects that are relevant to Indigenous Land and Sea Country Managers to incorporate into the platform.

Tools and guidance

• We have implemented a spatially enabled decision-support tool to help select location-relevant and appropriate monitoring methods.
• Developed tools to help design monitoring programs on Country
• Developed guidance notes on matters such as permitting and ethics.

Our intended outcomes

• Increased uptake of standardised, fit-for-purpose on-Country monitoring methods across Indigenous ranger programs.
• Improved, consistent monitoring and reporting of environmental condition on the Indigenous estate.
• Support of Indigenous practitioners in producing and delivering outputs – including reporting – that affirm the exceptional quality and quantity of their on-ground activities. This is essential to ensuring the ongoing support and growth of Indigenous land, water, and sea management programs.

Acknowledgement of funding

The project is supported by the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water via funding awarded from the National Environmental Science Program Resilient Landscapes Hub and the Indigenous Protected Areas Program; and Curtin University.