27 – Community involvement in monitoring threatened species: a WWF perspective^353works differently, and can involve presentations directly to corporation board
members, casual conversations with individuals or discussions through the Land
Council office. In the rock-wallaby project, involvement of some Indigenous
groups was organised through the Kimberley Land Council, then directly with
Ranger groups. Other groups preferred direct engagement between WWF staff and
their elders and corporation board members to develop the project.
Memorandums of understanding (MOUs) help provide a basis for long-term
partnerships, to clearly define working relationships and project expectations,
avoid misunderstandings and enable pathways for future collaborations. For
example, pre-existing MOUs with local groups in north Queensland facilitated
discussions and engagement during the NBP.
Develop projects collaboratively
Consultation with Indigenous groups should begin at the start of project
development, well before fieldwork commences. Recognising the rights of
Indigenous people to make land management decisions and to work on country
means that consent and permission to undertake a project should be sought
upfront, and engagement continued throughout to ensure good communication,
input, involvement and support, from development through to implementation. As
relationships develop and discussions expand, project ideas may come from either
WWF or Traditional Owner groups in an equal partnership. Clear communication
about resources and funding (often including wages or fee-for-service payments),
project goals, expertise and expected outcomes is essential for successful
collaborations (Hoffmann et al. 2012).
In some cases, addressing a broad representative group may not be sufficient
for permission to access or to make decisions about activities on country;
additional efforts may be needed to identify the right people to speak for the area.
During the latest rock-wallaby survey, Traditional Owners from five different clan
groups accompanied ecologists and Indigenous Rangers in-the-field to each speak
for their respective country. In this case, the Rangers represented many family
groups, and required permission and guidance from each while undertaking work
on country. Under Traditional Owner guidance, several areas that were mapped as
potential survey points during planning were avoided in the field because they
coincided with significant cultural sites with restricted access.
Determine objectives and manage expectations
An important part of early discussions is mapping the overlap between each
partner’s priorities, and developing strategies to incorporate these into projects.
Priority species for Indigenous groups may include important food plants or
animals, culturally significant species (such as those featured in, or connected to,
dreaming stories, ceremonial songs or places), as well as those that custodians have