Developing a two‐way learning monitoring program for Mankarr (Greater Bilby) in the Western Desert, Western Australia

Abstract

Summary Indigenous people are the custodians of knowledge systems that hold detailed awareness of the environment, including applications for monitoring and management to improve biodiversity and cultural outcomes. Indigenous communities are increasingly participating in programs to monitor populations of wildlife. There is a need for frameworks to guide how Indigenous priorities, aspirations and culture can be respected within monitoring programs, as well as case studies that demonstrate how Indigenous knowledge and practice can provide opportunities together with Western science practice to improve the rigour and outcomes of wildlife monitoring. Here, we describe the process of developing a monitoring program that was tailored to be carried out by Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa Indigenous ranger teams to assess the status, trend and response to the management of a threatened and culturally significant species Mankarr (Greater Bilby; Macrotis lagotis). We applied a collaborative two‐way approach, using iterative consultations, elicitations and field trials involving Indigenous and non‐Indigenous project partners to define monitoring objectives, record biocultural knowledge and tailor a sampling methodology to fit the requirements of Martu Traditional Owners. Our project focused on creating a method that would be engaging, accessible and useful for rangers who would carry out the program, and prioritized collection of relevant data for community decision‐making regarding management. We outline our key learnings for co‐design of wildlife monitoring programs on Indigenous lands. Our approach provides insights that will assist in designing other cross‐cultural or participatory monitoring programs.

Recognizing culturally significant species and Indigenous‐led management is key to meeting international biodiversity obligations

“…Indigenous‐led decision‐making based on culturally and locally relevant indicators tends to result in initiatives that reflect Indigenous aspirations and priorities (Thompson et al., 2020; Skroblin et al., 2022). Participatory monitoring, narrowly defined to focus on the measurement of entities prioritized by governments and scientists without full engagement of Indigenous peoples tend to coerce Indigenous peoples rather than enabling transformation and meaningful place‐based outcomes (Thompson et al., 2020).…”

Synthesis of Australian cross‐cultural ecology featuring a decade of annual Indigenous ecological knowledge symposia at the Ecological Society of Australia conferences

“…Featured throughout the symposia was Indigenous knowledge of Country, fire, seasons, long-term change, weather, species interactions and habitats, that was drawn on by Rangers to manage the ecological and cultural values of Protected Areas (for example, see Bangalang et al 2022;Robin et al 2022;McKemey et al 2022). Western scientific and management techniques are also often deployed, such as modern burning tools, pesticides, computers, mapping, modelling and other technologies (Ansell & Koenig 2011;Hoffmann et al 2012;Preuss & Dixon 2012;Blackwood et al 2022;Wysong et al 2022;Daniels et al 2022;Lindsay et al 2022;Skroblin et al 2022). In contemporary times, often a mix of Indigenous and Western knowledge and techniques are used in conservation as cultures have come into contact and rangers look for the most efficient ways to manage Country.…”

“…In this special issue, Blackwood et al (2022) Another dominant theme emerging throughout the symposia was crosscultural fauna ecology where Indigenous knowledge of species habitats and behaviour was combined with scientific monitoring and modelling approaches to better understand the current home ranges and threats. Cross-cultural research featuring culturally significant species in this special issue includes the following: Mankarr (Greater Bilby; Macrotis lagotis) (Skroblin et al 2022) 2020). Although the benefits of Indigenous knowledge in managing threatened and invasive species were a highlight of the symposia, The Indigenous Reference Group of the Threatened Species Recovery Hub advocated for greater inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge and people in species research and increased Indigenous leadership (see Gore-Birch et al 2022).…”

“…On the other hand, Indigenous people, such as Rangers, may live and be on Country for most of the year (Robin et al 2022). In remote parts of central and northern Australia, where the vast majority of Indigenous Protected Areas occur, western scientific knowledge is relatively poor due to the remoteness and access restrictions (Preuss & Dixon 2012Brennan et al 2012;Wysong et al 2022;Skroblin et al 2022). However, Indigenous knowledge flourishes in many remote parts of Australia due to relatively less interference from colonisation and strong access and connections to Country compared to more densely populated parts of southern and eastern Australia (Hunt 2012).…”

How Dreaming and Indigenous ancestral stories are central to nature conservation: Perspectives from Walalkara Indigenous Protected Area, Australia

“…T he intersection of Indigenous knowledge and nature conservation is now regarded as essential to meeting the global goals for biodiversity conservation, improved human well-being and maintenance of cultural diversity (Ens et al 2015;Garnett, Burgess, et al 2018;Reyes-Garc ıa & Benyei 2019). Collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners is increasing in conservation and land management (see articles in this species issue) through policy (Forest People's Programme 2020; Goolmeer et al 2022), planning (Adams et al 2018;Buscher et al 2021;Carter et al 2022), ecological research (Russell et al Ens 2021;Skroblin et al 2022;Wysong et al 2022) and on-ground land and sea management (Schwartzman and Zimmerman 2005;Long et al 2020;Lindsay et al 2022). For example, globally, Indigenous-managed lands are protecting similar levels of vertebrate biodiversity to non-Indigenous protected areas (IPAs) such as National Parks (Schuster et al 2019), and Indigenous land managers are maintaining fire regimes that benefit species conservation and culture (Bliege Bird et al 2018).…”