Rangers across Australia's central deserts have joined forces with young people in remote communities as part of a coordinated effort to protect the threatened Great Desert Skink, known as Tjakuṟa.

The work took place during this year's Mulyamiji March surveys — now in their fourth year — bringing together ranger groups from across Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

The Indigenous Desert Alliance said the 2026 theme, "motivate and educate", focused on passing knowledge down to younger generations.

"Motivate and educate was based on one of the strategies in the National Recovery Plan for Great Desert Skink and focused on passing knowledge down to the younger generations," the organisation said.

"[It's about] inspiring them and sharing the tools and information for continuing to look after Tjakuṟa for many years to come."

Alongside ecological surveys, rangers worked with schools in remote communities in the central desert, teaching young people how to monitor species and care for Country through practices such as cultural burning and feral animal management.

The work reflects a broader approach to conservation, according to the Indigenous Desert Alliance, in which cultural knowledge and on-the-ground science work together.

Ranger teams involved in the surveys included Mala Rangers from Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, as well as groups from Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa in Jigalong and Punmu, and Warnpurru.

The surveys form part of the National Recovery Plan for the Great Desert Skink, with the alliance coordinating priority actions under the plan.

The work is supported through the Australian Government's Saving Native Species Program and the National Environmental Science Program's Resilient Landscapes Hub.

Final results from the March surveys are expected to be released in the coming weeks.