Over 100 Aboriginal rangers are set to gather at Tilmouth Well this week for the Central Land Council's annual ranger camp.
A key feature of the camp this year is the introduction of a bilingual animal tracking training package that integrates traditional knowledge with contemporary methods.
The Central Land Council created Yitaki Maninjaku Ngurungka (Reading the Country) to preserve tracking knowledge for future rangers.
The training package includes customised learning activities with resources in both Warlpiri and English.
Elder Enid Gallagher has been part of the project from the start.
"We have worked together to develop new ways to use old methods like recount and repetition," she said.
"We have seen that recycling these old ways is working.
"On a recent biodiversity survey the rangers responded really well and got really excited from learning in this way."
Kuyu pungu (experienced trackers), knowledge holders, educators, and language experts collaborated with the land council's Warlpiri and North Tanami rangers and other staff over the past three years to develop the project.
Fourteen CLC ranger groups will review the resources for the first time at Tuesday's ranger camp.
The materials are set to be adapted for other language groups throughout Australia's deserts.
Jerry Jangala's teaching approach, the Jangala Method, played a crucial role in the Yitaki Maninjaku Ngurungka project.
The elder from Lajamanu likes to ask questions that encourage learners to "push deeper", but "nati yirdi-manta" (does not give away the answer) too soon.
"We talk about asking questions [so learners] give the right answer (to) get the right words into their hearts and minds," he said.
The ranger camp serves as an opportunity for rangers from the Central Land Counil's jurisdiction and beyond to enhance their skills, participate in training, and expand their professional networks.
Rangers will receive training in operating skid steer and four-wheel drive vehicles, practice handling poisonous snakes, and undergo first aid and smartphone video training.
This year's camp places a special emphasis on the health and wellbeing of the rangers, with the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory offering a mental health and culturally responsive trauma-informed program.
Guest speaker Cissy Gore Birch, a Jaru and Kija woman with over 20 years of experience in land management and community development, will share insights from her journey and discuss carbon farming.
The ranger camp stands as the primary professional development event for the 15 ranger groups within the Central Land Council's area.