| ‘A new approach to raising awareness and increasing knowledge' |
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PROJECT SYNOPSIS
Project commencement: 22 October 2008
Project completion: 31 December 2008
Total project investment: $16,363.64
PROJECT AIM
Raising public awareness of natural resource management and encourage Aboriginal engagement for isolated communities as well as the provision of information relating to career opportunities in natural resource management.
KEY OUTCOMES
- Increased awareness of the land, natural resource management and the challenges faced such as weed and feral animal control.
- Increased knowledge of vocational opportunities within the region and how this impacts local economies.
- Understanding the challenges of achieving social and economic sustainability.
- Increased knowledge of natural resource management, conservation and Indigenous tourism.
- Increased knowledge of Aboriginal culture and traditional land management.
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A large photo collage of the school camp is displayed in the classroom along with a DVD slide show viewing of the school camp and written student survey.
the Burringurrah Remote Community is situated close to the largest rock in the world - the Mt Augustus Monocline (traditionally known as Burringurrah) which, with improved road access will become a visitor icon in the future requiring a skills base in infrastructure, natural resource management, tourism and hospitality. Encouraging young people to consider career and employment opportunities in their community is a major focus of the Local Community Partnerships programme.
THE CHALLENGES
The key challenges for this project included:
- Distance and cost: Burringurrah is an isolated community only accessible by 480kms of unsealed road from Carnarvon often subject to seasonal flooding or expensive air charter utilising an unsealed air strip (students were unable to return to the community for a week after the School Camp due to flooding).
- School attendance: Some young people may not have received the full benefit of the project due to irregular school attendance, community members moving between communities, poor road conditions preventing access back to the community in time for school and general health and well being.
OUR SUCCESSES
The Local Community Partnership believed the activities executed within this project were innovative and represented an untried approach for young people at the Burringurrah Remote Community School. School staff advised that students have attended school camps in the past but none have had an educational focus on natural resource management and conservation, Indigenous tourism and careers pathways.
The activities incorporated into the project included:
- Career Speed Dating event: presenters from different industries visited the school for informative chats about prospective employment and career pathways. A classroom workshop followed to strengthen the knowledge gained from the sessions.
- Education School Camp: this was a seven day tour for three adults and ten students traveling from Burringurrah to Perth, Geraldton, Shark Bay and Carnarvon. Students were required to help with the day-to-day chores on a roster system (cleaning up, cooking, etc) and were responsible for acknowledging each presenter/tour guide on behalf of the school. Visits included:
- Perth Zoo - for an educational workshop the "Save our Species" discussing the important conservation role the Zoo plays with their "captive breeding and release" programmes to save endangered native species and sustainable work practices such as water conservation and recycling.
- Three Indigenous Tours - Kings Park, Yanchep National Park and Monkey Mia, Shark Bay.
- This involved three different deliveries showcasing the diversity of Aboriginal people and their traditional sustainability practices, bush tucker and medicines and tool making.
- Motivational talk by May O'Brien, Aboriginal Ambassador, Career Advice Australia (DEEWR)
- Rottnest Island day trip - Aboriginal and European history as well as some leisure activities
- Canning River Eco Education Centre - conservation and land management practices in the Canning River Reserve and job opportunities and pathways with the Department for Environment and Conservation
- Francois Peron National Park, Shark Bay - Peron Homestead Interpretive Centre depicting stores of Aboriginal inhabitants and displays of feral animals and endangered species.
- Shark Bay World Heritage Centre visit.
- School and Community Celebration: Rangelands NRM, parents, students and community members were invited to attend a slide show of the 7 day school camp. Rangelands NRM was publicly acknowledged for their support.
- Photographic Story Board: This was developed by the Local Community Partnership for retention at the school to remind students of their camp and to encourage practices learned on the trip.
- 2010 school curriculum includes continued studies, transfer of knowledge and lessons learnt from the 2009 trip
BENEFITS TO THE GASCOYNE REGION
This project was integral to raising the awareness of the community's young people about traditional Indigenous land management, their culture and future employment opportunities in natural resource management and Indigenous eco tourism to improve economic sustainability for the community.
Adopt a School Project Case Study - (Pdf 202KB)
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