Warddeken Caring for Country Project

The Warddeken Caring for Country Project uses the best of both worlds to care for almost 1.4 million hectares of spectacular stone and gorge country on the Western Arnhem Land plateau.

Community directed and implemented by the Narwarddeken people, the project follows ancient laws handed down by ancestors, combined with western science, to understand country in a different way.

The Project cares for country, from managing weeds, wildfire and feral animals to recording significant rock art sites. Their innovative fire work is the strength of the project. It won the 2011 Caring for Country Indigenous Banksia Award and more recently the Eureka Prize for Innovative Solutions to Climate Change.

Project leader, Bardayal Nadjamerek, had a vision for a better future for all Narwarddeken people. It is a vision that everyone in the Project shares. Their work is achieving this by strengthening culture, passing on knowledge, creating jobs and providing solutions for long term, sustainable management of country.