Dear friends
A scorcher of a win!
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| Pictured L-R:
Glenn Edwards (NTG), Jan Ferguson (DKCRC), Grant Allan (NTG), and
Stephen Sutton from Bushfires NT |
Warmest congratulations to DKCRC’s brilliant Desert
Fire team, for winning the Northern Territory
Government’s coveted 2008 Desert Knowledge Innovation
Award. This was for an outstanding piece of innovation that
is helping to protect and benefit desert people, property and the
environment. The Award was presented at a gala dinner in Darwin on
May 30.
Focussed on the fire regimes and issues of the Tanami Desert,
the project examined Aboriginal use of fire as perceived by
non-Aboriginal fire professionals and by Warlpiri and Pintupi
people as well as pastoralists’ perspectives, and the use of
fire management in conservation reserves. The outcomes are being
used by government and communities to manage for future major fire
events and have helped foster a much wider understanding of
approaches to fire and its use in the environment.
Board impressed by Karratha
DKCRC’s Board had an outstanding meeting at Karratha, WA,
where we heard presentations from the traditional owners as well as
Rio Tinto and Woodside. A tour of the Burrup peninsula was included
- the petroglyphs are amazing! So too is the scale of the economic
development in the area.
We then journeyed to Wiluna with the WA Department of
Agriculture to start work with the community on their economic
development ideas. Christina Lange facilitated a workshop, which we
believe will lead to a longer-term relationship as they return Emu
farm to productive capacity.
Hands across the desert
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| Pictured: Pat
Torres from Indigenous Harvest Australia; Edith Holmes, Angelina
Luck & Jilly Holmes from Ampilatwatja with Rayleen Brown
(Kungas can Cook - Alice Springs) |
In a historic gathering, wild harvesters from Alice Springs and
Broome, WA, met in the Kimberley in May to exchange wisdom and
experiences in garnering and marketing bush tucker. Lulu Teece, Edi
Holmes, Jily Holmes and Angelina Luck from Ampilatwatja and Rayleen
Brown from Kungkas Can Cook in Alice Springs met with members of
Indigenous Harvest Australia, an Aboriginal wild harvest
cooperative and visited many sites in the northwest where gubinge
(kakadu plum) is harvested. The central Australians shared their
own experiences of harvesting and using wattle seed and bush
tomatoes. The Hands Across the Desert project aims to develop an
industry network of Aboriginal people who can continue to share
their stories of achievement and importantly, what works and what
doesn't as they engage with the bush foods market.
CRCA Conference
With Craig James and Mark Ashley, I attended the CRC Association
annual conference in Sydney in May to catch up on news, hear about
the excellent work being done, and attend some professional
development workshops. It’s always valuable to learn how the
other CRCs meet the challenges we all face, to learn from their
experiences and achievements and to find new partners among them
for our own projects. The conference was also a chance for the CRCs
as a group to interact with Professor Mary O’Kane who is
responsible for the CRC component of the Federal Government’s
Innovation Review.
Uni-community partnering
An alliance of Australian universities has invited business,
industry, Government, CRCs, schools and TAFE to a conference to
promote partnerships that will lead to improved sustainability. To
be held in Queensland in July, the Australian Universities
Community Engagement Alliance (AUCEA) conference will see
representatives from 35 universities and dozens of other
organisations come together. The focus of the conference will be to
improve and expand partnerships for any socially, culturally,
economically or environmentally sustainable outcome. See: http://www.auceaconference.net.au
Fulbright opportunity
DKCRC staff and researchers may like to consider applying for a
Fulbright Scholarship. These are worth up to $A40,000, for research
or study in the United States for 3–12 months in 2009-10.
Applications are open to Postgraduates, Postdoctoral, Professional
and Senior Scholars from any field of study. Of particular interest
is the Fulbright Business/Industry Professional Scholarship which
supports a 3-4 month visit for research focused on a business or
industry issue of importance to Australia.
More information: http://www.fulbright.com.au
Don’t forget
DKCRC’s Desert Symposium 'Rethinking the future', Alice
Springs Nov 3-6, 2008:
http://www.desertknowledge2008.com
We are receiving abstracts until 13th June from people
interested in presenting a talk or poster.
Kind regards,
Jan
