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Category Archives: Knowledge Sharing
Celebrating Ten Years of FINIA on film!
After our tenth anniversary meeting held on Fraser Island (K’Gari) in December, a short digital story was produced to promote and highlight the achievements of FINIA over the years and its importance in tackling environmental issues on the island.
Fraser Island WHA Indigenous Advisory Committee FINALIST in National Landcare Awards!
Vote now for the People’s Choice Awards
The Recognising & Recording K’Gari’s (Fraser Island) Cultural Heritage project was initiated by the Fraser Island World Heritage Area Indigenous Advisory Committee in 2012 and was delivered by the Butchulla people and Aboriginal Rangers of Fraser Island.
Through strong partnerships, the project provided training to the Butchulla community, leading to additional cultural heritage sites being located including the highly significant Bogimbah Mission grave sites on this World Heritage listed property. The project has established closer ties between the Aboriginal Ranger team and Butchulla elders and broader engagement and stewardship by the Butchulla community with forums, field trips and newsletters.
Judging is currently underway with the announcements to be made at the National Landcare Conference and Gala Awards being held in Melbourne in September. You can also vote for the Indigenous Advisory Committee in the People’s Choice Awards, just click on the icon.
Note: Although you are able to vote in every category, you don’t have to, so just look for the group in the Indigenous Land Corporation Indigenous Landcare Category.
National Standards for Ecological Restoration
The National Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration in Australia have just been released by the Society for Ecological Restoration in Australia (SERA) board’s Principles and Standards Reference group in close collaboration with partners and advisors.
(more…)
Sand, Sea and Sun a Success!
On 12 August, more than 100 delegates attended the 6th Biennial Fraser Island Conference at the University of the Sunshine Coast at Sippy Downs. It was the best attended Fraser Island (K’Gari) Conference yet, and with the weather for the Conference being most pleasant, as was the venue and the catering, it was also judged to have been the best Fraser Island Conference so far.
For the Conference FIDO commissioned three banners that helped set the stage quite literally.
The Conference provided a wealth of information about the world’s greatest sand island and what is being discovered to help it to be better appreciated and better understood. As the speakers made clear, the island is much more than sand; it is affected by and affects the marine environment surrounding it. A summary of the Conference, including details of all speakers, can be found on the FINIA blog.
The 7th Biennial Fraser Island Conference is also already in the works, with the theme ‘Time, Tide and Tourism’. The plan is to hold the Conference to coincide with the Brisbane Exhibition holiday on Wednesday 16 August 2017; however, more information will be made available closer to the date.
John Sinclair, AO
FINIA is turning TEN
When FINIA was founded in December 2005, the catalyst was a two-day gathering of a large number of groups and agencies at Dilli Village, Fraser Island, organised by the Burnett Mary Regional Group. Nobody then could have imagined that an organisation that has a set of objectives but no formal constitution, and therefore no formal membership, could have survived for so long and achieved so much just through communication and collaboration. (more…)
Managing Values other than Outstanding Universal Value on Fraser Island World Heritage Area
Adapted from Ross 2014 – K’gari Values
Fraser Island World Heritage Area is recognised for geological and geomorphic values of island formation and for biological processes relating to rainforest succession on high dunes. World Heritage Area listing did not extend to Aboriginal heritage significance, despite the acknowledged tangible and intangible cultural values of Fraser Island (known to Butchulla Traditional Owners as K’gari) in the form of campsites, scarred trees, shell middens, story places and the Indigenous knowledge of landscape and species management. Nevertheless, management of K’gari can and does take Butchulla knowledge into account.
The Fraser Island World Heritage Area managers are formally advised by three Advisory Committees: the Fraser Island World Heritage Area Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and the Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC). These committees help ensure that a range of values, including Aboriginal heritage values, are reviewed, and where deemed appropriate, taken into account by managers. For example, in 2014, Butchulla concerns regarding the proposed management of Takky Wooroo (Indian Head) were aired at a combined Advisory Committee meeting, and managers responded by agreeing to seek further information from Butchulla knowledge holders before proceeding with planning proposals.
The input of Butchulla knowledge holders is contributing to the management of Takky Wooroo (Indian Head)
The three Advisory Committees thus have an opportunity to ensure that the full range of values of K’gari are considered for incorporation into management planning for this World Heritage place, despite the formal limitations of listing. It is imperative that the Advisory Committees are continued into the future, with appropriate levels of government funding and support.
Anne Ross
Anne Ross’s full article, ‘Managing Values Other than Outstanding Universal Value—A case study from K’gari (Fraser Island World Heritage Area), Queensland, Australia’, originally published in Historic Environment, 26(2), 2014, can be found here: Ross 2014 – K’gari Values (pdf)
Swamp Orchid now on YouTube
Introduction to Phaius australis – the New Swamp Orchid YouTube channel with 3 video modules profiling USC PhD student Laura Simmons study of Phaius australis the endangered swamp orchid.
Stowaway Antics – a story for children
John Sinclair’s children’s stories always carry a message and this one is no different – with the story of some suburban ants that plan their escape to Fraser Island. Suitable for children or adults (who will also get some fun out of the story), you should approach it with ANT-ICIPATION!
To download John’s story, please click here: Stowaway Antics
Monitoring Sediment Movement Collaboratively
For the past three years, Fraser Island Defenders Organisation (FIDO) has embarked on a monitoring project on Fraser Island. Of particular concern was to try to quantify the impact of sediment movement along Fraser Island roads. FIDO established some posts to collect data on the volume of sand being deposited in some areas – mainly between Eurong and Central Station, with some measurements at Lake McKenzie (Boorangoora). At some sites we were also seeking to assess the extent of down cutting of the roads through measurement and photo-monitoring. (more…)
Bear study highlights public education and physical barriers to avoid conflict
A recent study lead by Ozgun Emre Can from Oxford University may provide some invaluable lessons on reducing dingo-human conflict on Fraser Island. The study which focuses on bears suggests a number of interventions that can be used by land managers.
FINIA 