Posted: March 28th, 2024
In August 2023, a team of Nyangumarta Rangers set off from Bidyadanga to make the long journey to New Well, near Pukatja in the APY Lands of South Australia. The trip was organized as part of the Indigenous Desert Alliance Ranger Exchange Program, which gives rangers across the desert regions opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing opportunities.
The trip was planned for the rangers to learn more about the Black-footed Rock Wallaby and how other ranger groups have studied and managed them on Country. Over the course of the thirteen-day trip the Rangers recorded footage for the films they are creating of their journey, as well as a ‘How To’ guide on the Black-footed Rock Wallaby that can be shared with other Ranger Groups looking to find and study the species on their Country.
Nyangumarta Ranger at the start of the IPA on the Nyangumarta Highway.
Setting off from the Ranger Base in Bidyadanga, the team made their first stop at Kunawaritji, where the rangers met with the Kinyu Rangers and shared some of their salmon catch over dinner. The next morning, they set off for Kiwikurra where the team met with some friends they made on previous Ranger exchanges before heading to Kintore and then spending the night at Ngutjal. The next stop was Kaltukatjara, where the local Rangers generously invited the team to stay at their base. That night the two teams caught up for a feed, shared some shells from Eighty Mile Beach along with some merchandise, a seasonal calendar and a Nyangumarta TEK book.
The team then set off again, passing Lasseris Cave, the Kata Tjutas and Uluru, before meeting up with the Nyinku Kingo (UKTNP) team. Tracey Guest and Nyinko talked to the rangers about Buffel Grass, giving some great management advice, contacts, and stories of their experience with Buffel that the team can take back to the IPA where Buffel is still manageable. That afternoon the Rangers explored around Uluru before heading out and meeting with the Kutijulu Community Mala Rangers who invited the team to camp. After a tour of Uluru and a talk that Nyinku delivered, the team once again hit the road for their final stop.
After setting up camp at New Well, the rangers joined the APY team joined to welcome them and share a meal including the last of the salmon, which by this point had travelled as far as Melbourne to Brisbane!
The APY crew welcome the Nyangumarta Rangers to their Country.
Once they were set up the team split off to carry out trapping. The trapping rate was very high and the Nyangumarta Rangers learned the process of removing the wallabies from the traps, as well as tagging, measuring, and taking samples. The habitat of the Wallabies on APY Lands is much bigger than on Nyangumarta Country, but there were many similarities, with wallabies using Country with complex rocky outcrops, caves, crevices and cracks. The Rangers then met with some members of the Warru Ranger team who provided a tour of their fenced predator proof enclosure which they use as a source population to release wallabies at new sites across Country. Afterwards the team visited Pukatja and were gifted some bush medicine from the Enabella Art Centre to help with their sore muscles after the day’s climbs!
A Black-footed Rock-Wallaby
The team spent the next two days exchanging knowledge, learning about the habitat requirement and what food sources to look out for on Country. The APY Rangers had identified additional food sources as well as methods of population monitoring which the Nyangumarta Rangers could use in the future. The team heard more about Buffel management, checked out some of the equipment that the APY team has including thermal drones and Felixers. The team shared their filming kit, to carry out interviews of each other for a film they are collaborating on for other Ranger group looks for Black-footer Rock Wallabies on their Country.
The team then set off home for Nyangumarta Country – all up the Nyangumarta Rangers travelled over 5000km – almost the same distance as a drive from Perth to Cairns! The Nyangumarta Rangers extend a big thanks to everyone involved in making the trip such a success, particularly the APY Team and the IDA, as well as all the ranger teams they met on the journey who offered such great hospitality.
Nyangumarta Rangers trapping some Black-footed Rock-Wallaby
