Two Bardi Jawi Oorany Rangers from the Dampier Peninsula in Western Australia's Kimberley region have presented their Indigenous-led restoration work to hundreds of delegates at a national biodiversity conference in Perth.
The 2025 Biodiversity Conference, held in late October on Whadjuk Noongar Country, brought together more than 900 scientists, policymakers and land managers to discuss some of Australia's most pressing environmental challenges.
Rangers Tamara Moore and Vivien Hunter travelled from Ardyaloon to join Murdoch University researcher Dr Sara Cavalcant Marques in presenting findings from their bicultural restoration project.
Their talk, Embedding Indigenous Values in Restoration, focused on the ecological and cultural significance of Mayi Borden; monsoon vine thickets that make up less than 0.01 per cent of the Dampier Peninsula but support as much as a quarter of the region's plant species.
These small patches of rainforest provide food, medicine, freshwater and materials, and are central to the cultural identity of Bardi Jawi people.
Ms Moore told delegates the project blends ecological science with Traditional knowledge to guide on-Country restoration.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to share our work in restoring native vegetation," she said. "It was inspiring to hear from others facing similar environmental challenges."
The Oorany Rangers' work aims to strengthen ecosystems while protecting cultural values, offering an example of how Indigenous leadership can support more holistic, long-term approaches to caring for Country.
Murdoch University and the ranger team say the research will help inform future restoration planning across the Peninsula as climate pressures intensify.
