West Kimberley Nature Project
West Kimberley Nature Project – Monsoonal Vine Thickets and Wetlands
Monsoon Vine Thickets of the coastal sands of the Dampier Peninsula are a Threatened Ecological Community restricted to the east and west coastlines of the Dampier Peninsula, Kimberley region, Western Australia. Vine thickets are highly fragmented and variable. The patches and act as an ecological network and biological refuge, hosting a great diversity of fruiting plants that provide important habitat for frugivores such as; Agile Wallaby, Rose Crowned Fruit Dove, Flying Foxes and Great Bowerbirds. 23% of the species known to the Dampier Peninsula occur with Monsoon Vine Thicket patches. This ecosystem has been nominated for listing as Endangered under the EPBC Act (1999) and has been incorporated into the Finalised Priority Assessment List (2010).
Monsoon Vine Thickets are an important traditional resource for Indigenous people and host reliable sources of bushtucker, medicine, tools and other significant items. Many patches are important sites for Biidin (fresh water under the ground), camping, ceremonial areas and law grounds. Many plant species occurring within vine thickets have recorded language names in Bardi, Nyul Nyul and Yawuru whose people retain a wealth of Traditional Knowledge about the biology and ecology of within vine thickets.
Monsoon Vine Thickets are patches of dense rainforest-allied vegetation with the upper storey characterized by a number of dominant trees that vary from patch to patch along the coast. They are uniquely confined to the leeward side or swales of, the long exposed Holocene sand dunes of the Dampier Peninsula. Trees are often covered in native vines and create a rich and moist organic understorey that supports endemic reptiles and invertebrates and aids to repel fire, enhancing the patches role a fire refuge.
Monsoonal Vine Thickets are increasingly threatened by hot and frequent wildfires, weed invasion, feral animals, clearing, climate change and off-road driving that tears up the dunes. As patches become degraded and further isolated from eachother, the opportunity for birds, bats and other nationally threatened fauna to follow the variable fruiting periods and move between patches is reduced. The ecological integrity can become compromised, potentially resulting in local extinctions.
The West Kimberley Nature Project engaged Traditional Owners and Indigenous Ranger Groups facilitated by the Kimberley Land Council (Bardi-Jawi, Nyul Nyul, Karajarri) and Bardi Jawi Oorany Rangers to protect and conserve the threatened Monsoonal Vine Thicket community and wetlands in the Dampierland bioregion. Working in collaboration with Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Broome Botanical Society, the Society for Kimberley Indigenous Plants and Animals and Indigenous Ranger groups a Monsoonal Vine Thicket Management Plans have been developed for six individual areas covering over 1000 ha and significant input has been made toward the Interim Recovery Plan for the ecosystem. These plans provide a comprehensive scientific and traditional ecological understanding of the values, threats and functionality of the system and identify important recovery actions and processes. Additionally, we have engaged an ecologist to further develop our understanding of fire history on the ecosystem and develop sound biological monitoring protocols to aid assessment and inform management.
This project has provided Indigenous Ranger groups with skills in ecological management and training in weed control, fire management, feral animal control, monitoring of natural and cultural areas and collation of Traditional Knowledge about vine thicket plants. On-ground activities have resulted in Weeds of National Significance being controlled on over 1300 ha and by using a combination of cool fuel reduction burns and fire breaks there has been a reduction in the incidence of late season hot uncontrolled fires which are devastating in these communities. Native seeds have been harvested, propagated and planted, restoring degraded areas and improving habitat quality. These on-going activities will reduce the critical threats and protect Monsoonal Vine Thicket communities within the Dampier Peninsular. Indigenous rangers will continue to monitor and survey the flora and fauna to ensure long-term survival and persistence in these areas.
In addition, the West Kimberley Nature Project has collaborated with the Karajarri Rangers and Karajarri Traditional Lands Association, KLC, WWF and DEC to produce eco-cultural interpretive signage to aid in the management of tourists and local users of coastal wetlands starting at Eighty Mile Beach and stretching to Gourdon Bay. This has also been undertaken with Nyul Nyul Rangers and tourism operators to manage tourism impact on a high-use vine thicket patch in the Peninsula.
The West Kimberley Nature Project is a good example of fostering collaborations, establishing strong partnerships and providing support and assistance to ensure on-ground management achieves the long-term goals to enhance and to conserve the threatened Monsoon Vine Thicket community and protect significant coastal areas.