Joint Management Stories

Learning Two Ways at Rainbow Valley

Traditional Owners and their families met with Parks & Wildlife Rangers and Central Land Council staff at Rainbow Valley for a ‘Back to Country’ camp in October. Traditional Owners and their kids enjoyed a range of activities including trapping and identifying small mammals and reptiles, spotlighting, looking at soil erosion control and surveying for birds. Park Rangers learnt about Aboriginal culture from the Traditional Owners and together enjoyed being out on country. It was all about “learning two ways”.

This visit to country is the second since joint management began. As detailed in the recently finalised Joint Management Plan, this type of activity will be an annual event. Parks & Wildlife hope that this, and other similar activities, will inspire some of the kids to become Park Rangers in the future.

Ricky Orr, Traditional Owner and local Cultural Tour Operator, shared his cultural knowledge with the group: - “The kids talked with a lot of interest about the animals they discovered in the traps and caught by hand, and birds they spotted with binoculars. It’s great to see the kids really enjoy themselves and learning. One day they’ll be looking after this place.”

While conditions are very dry at Rainbow Valley, trapping revealed a variety of animal life including:

• Fat-tailed Pseudoantechinus (Pseudoantechinus macdonnellensis) – a small insect-eating native mouse, caught in an Elliott trap;
• Desert Skink (Egernia margaretae) - a 9cm long skink found in the stony hills, caught in a pitfall trap; and
• Fat-tailed Gecko (Diplodactylus conspicillatus) - found by the kids on a desert oak during spot-lighting in the evening, caught by hand.

The ‘Junior Rangers’ also learned about soil erosion control techniques and general Reserve maintenance.

Background

Spanning over 2,400 hectares, Rainbow Valley, located 100 km south of Alice Springs, was named for the striking coloured sandstone cliffs and represents the beauty of desert Australia.

The Rainbow Valley Joint Management Plan was the first to be approved (in June this year) after changes to the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act in 2005 thatprovided for joint management. The Act says that jointly managed parks must be managed for purposes that will benefit Traditional Aboriginal Owners and the wider community, protect biological diversity and serve visitor and community needs for education and enjoyment. At the second Annual Joint Management Planning meeting in July, Traditional Owners’ desire for more cultural interpretation of the Reserve’s values was discussed. One outcome of these discussions is new interpretive signs that will be made for Rainbow Valley soon.

Joint management has fostered positive relationships between Parks & Wildlife staff, Traditional Owners and the Central Land Council, including improved communication.

Traditional Owners have been getting work and training at Rainbow Valley through flexible employment projects, including weed control, bird surveys and controlled burning.

For more information contact Amelia Graham, Parks & Wildlife Joint Management Facilitator on 8951 8207.

Desert Skink (Egernia margaretae) caught during a recent fauna survey at Rainbow Valley

Fat-tailed Pseudoantechinus (Pseudoantechinus macdonnellensis) caught in an Elliott trap at Rainbow Valley

Traditional Owner Ricky Orr, teaching the Junior Rangers about culture at the recent “Back to Country” camp at Rainbow Valley Conservation.

Senior District Ranger Rick Hope, surveying birds with the Junior Rangers.

 

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