PILBARA RANGERS NETWORK FORUM STRENGTHENS REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
BY ASAD KHAN AND ESTHER COLMAN
The Pilbara Rangers Network Forum has wrapped up after three days of workshops, collaboration, and on-Country learning across the region.
Indigenous ranger teams from across the Pilbara met to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and build skills in land management, native seed collection, and cultural fire practices.
The first sessions were held in Karratha earlier in the week, where rangers discussed shared challenges and mapped out opportunities for future joint projects.
A second session in Roebourne brought local groups together to explore cultural heritage, regional priorities, and new training pathways for emerging rangers.
Forum organisers say the event plays an important role in supporting the growing Pilbara Ranger Network, helping teams connect, learn from one another, and develop stronger regional approaches to caring for Country.
Seeing Country Through New Eyes
Ranger Roanne Sultana, from the Mandabara clan in Far North Queensland, travelled to the Pilbara to present on the Junior Ranger Program, a model she hopes could be replicated locally.
She told Ngaarda Media that visiting the Pilbara highlighted the diversity of Country and the value of shared learning:
“The flight over was pretty amazing seeing the different country. I’m very excited to go on the field trip this afternoon and see all the rock paintings and stuff. It’s nice being over here and seeing a bit of country — where I’m from, it’s all rainforest and reefs,” she said.
“So it’s nice seeing the red dirt country. Even though we all come from different country and such a different landscape, what one group does can help another group or impact another group.”
Supporting Ranger Networks
The National Indigenous Australians Agency is one of the key partners supporting the Pilbara Ranger Network. Community Engagement Officer Rachel Dhu said the agency sees long-term value in bringing ranger teams together to collaborate.
“We’re funding the Pilbara Ranger Network and we’re supporting their coordinator or business manager to bring together all the rangers on different topics that may be applicable on what they need to do to look after Country,” she said.
Building Skills on Country
For many rangers, the Forum also offered hands-on opportunities to develop new skills. Nyamal ranger Sharon O’Connor said her team is expanding its knowledge across fire management, conservation, and water monitoring.
“As a team, we go out doing fire burning. We’ve just been learning that. We have been going out bird trapping, and water monitoring, learning what’s the acid or the alkaline in our water, so our wildlife is safe for that water to drink or to live in,” she said.
The three-day Forum concluded with on-Country site visits, giving rangers the chance to see local conservation projects firsthand and strengthen ties across the region’s ranger network.