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Spring Clean at Burlong

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Healthy Environments

Rangers do their bit for the environment.

Burlong Park has been given a spring clean by the region's Aboriginal rangers.

The Noongar Boodja Rangers have weeded, collected rubbish, cleaned signage and mowed the popular and iconic Northam park and permanent riverside pool just west of the town.

The work is part of the continuing effort to rehabilitate the site which had been nothing more than a dumping ground for rubbish only eight years ago.

Wheatbelt NRM and the Avon Valley Environment Society came together with a view to clean up the area because it is a significant site to not only the Noongar people but to the wider community.

Wheatbelt NRM Project Delivery Officer Michelle Winmar said the project started two years ago. "Lots of little things have been done along the way,” she said.

"The Shire of Northam has this time engaged the rangers to clean up Burlong Park."

The Noongar Boodja rangers facilitate Wheatbelt NRM endeavours within the Avon River Basin.

Ms Winmar said the town's Noongar Boodja Rangers had been busy on several projects.

"The rangers carry out natural resource type activity including revegetation and weed management, recording sites of significance, trails and signage, clean-up work, plant propagation and seed collecting,” she said.

"They have an interest in working on country and the program is about Noongar people working in and on their land.”

The rangers are asked to identify sites of significance to the Noongar community so they can help Wheatbelt NRM revegetate and maintain these areas.

Ms Winmar said the rangers also help with pest control.

"We have cameras out at our sites that film animals,” she said.

"The rangers help identify each animal under categories so we can manage pests in certain areas.”

The ranger positions are funded through the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme.

Ms Winmar said the small-­scale program is growing and very popular among local people.

"It will be good to plan where the Noongar Boodja Ranger program is heading in the future,” she said.

"We have started this as a casual program but in the long term we will look at it to see if we can grow the model.

"People are coming in all the time to sign up because they want to be a part of it.”

"We have a whole list and it is growing.”

Other projects the rangers have been busy on this month include working in partnership with the Northam Senior High School students to develop a ‘Six Seasons’ Noongar Garden.

To express your interest in being a ranger or for more information, please send an email to info@wheatbeltnrm.org.au or phone 9670 3140.

PICTURED: Wheatbelt NRM’s Aboriginal Project Delivery Officers – Jermaine Davis (left) and Michelle Winmar pictured at Burlong Park with Noongar Boodja Rangers Tom Garlett and Tom Nickel.