Indigenous ranger facts for kids

Indigenous rangers are special people in Australia. They are Indigenous Australians who work to protect their land, sea, and culture. They use a mix of old traditional knowledge and new conservation training.

The Australian Government started the Indigenous ranger projects in 2007. This was part of a program called Working on Country. These rangers help look after many places across Australia. This includes Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and islands like the Torres Strait Islands.

Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women work as rangers. Their work helps them feel good and benefits their communities. It also helps all of Australia.

Why Indigenous Rangers are Important

Many of Australia's special animals and plants live in remote areas. These areas often include Indigenous Protected Areas. About 20% of Australia's land is protected, and much of it is in remote deserts.

The Working on Country program was set up to create good jobs. It helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people learn new skills. They learn how to manage land and sea areas. This also helps them keep their cultures strong. They can share their skills and knowledge with others.

This program creates jobs in many areas. These include looking after the environment, checking for diseases (biosecurity), and protecting heritage sites. By 2019, the program had created over 2,100 jobs for Indigenous people.

Where Indigenous Rangers Work

Indigenous rangers work in many places across Australia. They work in Indigenous Protected Areas and other regions. These places include the Torres Strait Islands, Flinders Island, and Cape Barren Island near Tasmania. They also work on Croker Island and Groote Eylandt off the Northern Territory.

Budj Bim Rangers

One example is the Budj Bim Rangers. They work for the Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation. Their work is in the Budj Bim heritage areas. This area has special wetlands that were built a very long time ago.

The Gunditjmara people engineered these wetlands over 6,600 years ago. They created a system to trap and farm short-finned eels. These eels were an important food source. The wetlands are in the rich lands around the Budj Bim volcano.

Supporting Indigenous Ranger Programs

The Australian government helps fund these important programs. In 2018, the government promised $250 million to support 118 ranger groups until June 2021.

Groups like The Pew Charitable Trusts want to see even more support. They suggest doubling the money for ranger programs. They also want to create 5,000 ranger jobs across Australia. They believe contracts should be longer, at least ten years, to give rangers more stability.

Country Needs People

Country Needs People is a large group that supports Indigenous rangers. It includes over 40 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations. It also works with The Pew Charitable Trusts. By 2018, over 95,000 people had joined their campaign. They want more Indigenous ranger jobs and stronger Indigenous Protected Areas.

Awards for Ranger Work

The hard work of Indigenous rangers has been recognised with awards.

In 2008, the Bardi Jawi Indigenous Rangers won the Banksia Environment Award. This award celebrates great environmental achievements.

The World Future Council (WFC) also gave an award in 2017. They gave the Indigenous Protected Areas and Indigenous Rangers programs the "Bronze Future Policy Award". This award was for their work against Desertification, which is when land becomes dry and barren.

See also

• Budj Bim heritage areas
• Natural Heritage Trust