WEST ARNHEM LAND
West Arnhem Land, situated in the central northeast of Australia, is renowned for its remarkable natural and cultural value, including Aboriginal rock art dating back tens of thousands of years. Traditional Owners manage the land as they have for 50,000 years.
OUR GOALS
We work with local indigenous land management groups, such as the Djelk Rangers and Warddeken Land Management, to improve management practices in two developed Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs). We also work to secure and increase long-term funding for environmental management in this region. One of the key pieces of their work is managing fires across the landscapes.
In September 2009, the Australian Federal Government and traditional landowners signed agreements establishing two immense and globally significant conservation reserves on indigenous lands in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as the Djelk and Warddeken Indigenous Protected Areas, the reserves are located in Western and Central Arnhem Land and are more than twice the size of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. The area is of global significance for its natural and cultural values. Under the new agreements, traditional landowners will continue to manage the reserves and will be assisted by the indigenous ranger organizations, Djelk Rangers and the Warddeken Manwurrk Rangers.