Allied Research

The Boab Project was funded by the Government of Western Australia’s Natural Resource Management Program. The following information is from the project’s final report. Martuwarra (Fitzroy River) is a National Heritage Listed area. It is the largest registered Aboriginal cultural heritage site in WA. The boabs of Martuwarra are iconic to the region. They hold deep cultural, environmental, and economic significance. Climate change is already killing baobabs in Africa. Increasing tides, shifting water tables and temperature change could impact our boabs and their ecosystems.

Climate change will have direct and significant social, cultural, financial, and environmental impacts on Aboriginal People in the West Kimberley. The Climate Adaptation project entitled: Building Climate Resilience of West Kimberley Traditional Owners, is a collaboration between Nulungu and is a collaboration between Nulungu and Western Australia’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. It will engage West Kimberley Aboriginal Peoples to identify the risks from climate change, and collectively use traditional knowledge and western science to develop an Aboriginal led West Kimberley climate change adaptation strategy. Information on how River Country is changing, and the impacts on Aboriginal people, will be shared through multiple mediums.

The Walking Trails project entitled: Revitalising Country is investigating how Aboriginal walking tracks revitalise intergenerational knowledge transfer on Country, foster knowledge exchanges with academic disciplines, and build community businesses. They often following traditional song-lines and trade routes, and the practice of walking them under the guidance of Traditional Owners reproduces knowledge-based practices of paying attention, reciprocal care, and responsiveness to multiple life forms. These values and skills are transferable to young people participating, while also training students and attracting tourists. The pioneering Lurujarri trail is a model for trails as small businesses, expanding the valuable Aboriginal tourism sector and it is a pedagogical experience for students.