Caring for land and sea

Indigenous rangers are the eyes and ears of the remote corners of Australia, protecting land and sea and working with communities to maintain languages and cultural knowledge.

The Australian Government-funded Indigenous Ranger Program provides career opportunities for thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The rangers play an important role in preserving Australia’s unique natural and cultural resources and in keeping language alive.

Among other things, rangers manage commercial contracts, oversee crocodile hatchery programs and undertake sea patrols, which in turns builds capacity in communities.

The Bawinanga (Djelk) Sea Rangers are just one of many successful units. Their main role is looking after the coastline, estuaries and islands around Maningrida in Arnhem Land.

Djelk is a Gurrgoni word that means ‘land’ and ‘caring for land’. Hear more about their work in this video below, courtesy of Indigenous.gov.au.

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