Protecting our country
September 29, 2009
Protecting sacred sites has been the focus of the Kija Rangers. They have put up fencing around sacred sites at Kangaroo Rock and Emu Tree to stop horses and cattle damaging them.
At Snake Dreaming special netting was erected to make a fence to stop swallows from entering a cave where there are numerous rock art drawings.
Cultural site management has been a focal point of the rangers’ work plan. They have been monitoring these sites to look for any potential impacts or risk factors while also managing planned burns to protect special trees.
The Kija Rangers held a fire management planning workshop earlier in the year to decide on a plan of attack in conducting burns and controlling burns around special sites and pastoral stations.
A burn expected to happen at Greenvale Homestead earlier in the year was postposned because the area was too green. However, the burn that was conducted in July was extremely successful. The burn was the last conducted by the Kija Rangers for the season and was aimed at protecting the old Homestead at Greenvale from wildfires.
Protection burns were also done during the season to keep some Cyprus pines safe from harm, while aerial burning was also done to shield important bust tucker sites and medicine trees from fire.
The Kija Rangers is an emerging group and consultations with Traditional Owners have been focused around the pastoral stations at Violet Valley, Bow River and Tablelands.
