By Oliver Lees
Women’s participation in Indigenous land and water management programs is a “win-win”, according to a local Indigenous land management group.
The Wurundjeri Narrap Rangers work within the Woi-Wurrung Council area helping their clients employ traditional knowledge into their landcare practices.
Recognising a deficit in female participation, the land management team recently recruited six female members.
Wurundjeri Narrap Rangers team member David Mullins said they work with a range of clients to add First Nations voices to landcare decisions.
“We do all sorts of things like weed management, using fire to help care for the landscape and get it back to its natural state,” Mr Mullins said.
“We’ve worked with Hume council, Macedon Ranges council and Yarra Ranges council.”
New team member Mandy Nicholson said women have an important role to play in landcare.
“I was doing other work and study before, but this position really interested me,” she said.
“Our people have been doing this work for millennia and there are actually specific women’s sites, so it’s important to have women working there understanding their history.”
Ms Nicholson said Coranderrk in Healesville is an example of a traditional Indigenous women’s site that requires land management.
Last week, the Wurundjeri Narrap Rangers were working with Melbourne Water to remove pollutants from a water source.
Ms Nicholson said the more Indigenous women that engage with their history the better.
“It’s important we take them out on country to learn skills, to pass on knowledge and maintain our country.”
