2024 IDA Ranger of the Year Awards

The IDA Ranger of the Year Awards recipients were announced as part of an evening celebration recognising the outstanding achievements of rangers across the desert and their commitment to looking after country.

The 2024 awards were staged at Yulara in the Northern Territory, the township located near the iconic Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The awards were attended by Traditional Owners and 400 Indigenous ranger delegates from 50 ranger groups across the desert. The awards formed part of the 2024 IDA Conference, the largest gathering of Indigenous rangers in Australia, dedicated to strengthening knowledge, skills and connections between Indigenous land management organisations and rangers.

Men and women ranger award recipients included:

• Emerging Ranger of the Year (Female), Hayley Mulardy, Karajarri Rangers
• Emerging Ranger of the Year (Male), Daniel Dickenson, Muru-Warinyi Ankkul Rangers
• Ranger of the Year (Female), Eunice Woods, Tjakura Rangers
• Ranger of the Year (Male), Clifford Sunfly, Ngururrpa Rangers
• Senior Ranger of the Year (Female), Alice Nampijinpa Henwood, Warlpiri Ranger Team, and Kuyu Pungu (Expert Tracker) with the Reading the Country team
• Senior Ranger of the Year (Male), Charles Coleman Snr, Far West Coast AC Rangers
• Ranger Coordinator of the Year, Priscilla Reynolds, Goldfields AC Rangers
• Collaboration of the Year, Reading the Country Pilot Project, North Tanami Rangers and Warlpiri Rangers from the North and South Tanami IPAs with the Walungurru Rangers

Emerging Ranger of the Year (Female), Hayley Mulardy, is an exceptional young leader. At just 21, Hayley has made a big impact on the Karajarri Ranger Program, balancing her ranger duties with her community, cultural, and family responsibilities. She's taken on the role of public communications, driving the promotion of ranger work through social media, while also upskilling in drone usage and mapping technology. This year Hayley completed her Cert III in Conservation Management through TAFE, has represented Karajarri in Perth at Winyama's Indigenous Mapping Workshop; has acted consistently to elevate the role of women in Indigenous ranger programs through participating and contributing to the Kimberley women ranger forum.  Hayley is a mentor for new rangers and approaches all that she does full of warmth and positivity.

Emerging Ranger of the Year (Male), Daniel Dickenson, is someone who leads by example, always the first to step up and take on any challenge, no matter how big or small. Daniel is a kind, respectful, and hardworking individual who is always ready to contribute and help others.

Whether it's driving out to country, operating machinery on firebreaks, or taking on any other task, Daniel is regularly the first to volunteer, offering his assistance and doing the work alongside the team. He's someone you can always count on.

In addition to his excellent work ethic, Daniel is also eager to learn and grow. He embraces every training opportunity with enthusiasm and is always looking for ways to improve his skills, making him an invaluable member of the Muru Warinyi Ankkul Ranger Team and Central Land Council.

Ranger of the Year (Female), Eunice Woods, is someone who has shown outstanding initiative and dedication since day one. Eunice has played a vital role within the team, and her contributions extend far beyond just her core duties. Within her first month of employment, she obtained her 4x4 and quickly became an essential part of the team, helping with important tasks like meeting pick-ups and supporting Central Land Council business.

Eunice has also taken on a special project with the students at the Mutitjulu School, organising and leading classroom learning activities on her own. So impressive was her work that Trish, the school principal, personally sent Eunice a letter of appreciation for her efforts. Her dedication doesn't stop there – within the ranger team, Eunice assists with trip planning and food orders, always ensuring things run smoothly.

Eunice comes to work every day with a smile, and that positivity has a ripple effect, inspiring and motivating the entire team. Eunice is also passionate about sharing the healing power of country, and she's committed to supporting the wellbeing of her colleagues and community.

Ranger of the Year (Male), Clifford Sunfly, has navigated both the highlights and the challenges of the 2023/24 season with resilience and expertise. He has co-authoured a paper about the Ngururrpa Night Parrots that was recently accepted into the prestigious Wildlife Research journal – a big achievement that highlights his commitment to two-way science and conservation.

Clifford has also played a central role in the Ngururrpa fire management program, and is now a certified Incendiary Machine Operator for the Ngururrpa Rangers right way fire work. He has been a key figure in programs supporting Elders to access Country through video, which has been a standout contribution to preserving culture and connecting people to land. In addition to his direct work with the Ngururrpa team, Clifford has also supported the training of other ranger teams in Felixer feral animal management systems.

Clifford is a humble person but strong and respected ranger, and fast becoming a team leader with a bright future for the Ngururrpa Rangers.

Senior Ranger of the Year (Female), Alice Nampijinpa Henwood, one of the last remaining Warlpiri expert trackers, has dedicated the past four years to the Reading the Country Project. She has led the Yitaki Maninjaku Ngurungka Animal Tracking Training Framework, mentoring Warlpiri Rangers to strengthen their tracking and teaching skills. This includes most recently on the Tanami Regional Biodiversity Monitoring Survey and leading a training workshop at Central Land Council's Ranger Camp with groups from across the CLC region.

Her deep knowledge of animals and their ecology has been crucial to developing YMN resources that promote the learning of bio-cultural knowledge for current and future generations. Alice has also maintained a long-term collaboration with AWC's Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary and community groups, expanding training opportunities across the region.

For over 15 years, Alice has served as a guiding Elder in the Southern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area, mentoring rangers and leading cultural programs. Through her leadership, she supports the transfer of cultural knowledge to younger generations, helping them maintain a strong connection to their heritage. Alice's efforts are instrumental in both caring for country and maintaining connections to country.

Senior Ranger of the Year (Male), Charles Coleman Snr, is a proud Aboriginal ranger from the Far West of South Australia. Since joining the ranger team at its inception in 2019, Charlie has taken young rangers and community members under his wing, sharing his vast knowledge of Country and instilling a deep respect for the land. He has also led the rangers in their partnerships and collaborations with SA National Parks, Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation, Yalata, Oak Valley and AW Landscape Board on Buffel Grass management in SA.'

Known for his patience, hard work and genuine care for others, Charlie teaches by example – not only around town but even on weekends at the footy field, where he continues to pass down his wisdom. Despite his years of experience, he remains eager to learn, always putting the team and community before himself. For example, IDA workshops, regional buffel grass workshops, and multiple board meetings – all important to the FWC community. His commitment is also seen in ranger work like camping on Olive Island, a small, barren island 5kms off the Streaky Bay coast in the Southern Ocean to monitor sea lions for a week.

When the team's coordinator left, Charlie stepped up without hesitation, taking on the responsibility to keep everyone organised, informed, and prepared for the tasks ahead. To the team, Charlie is the driving force, the "key to the car" that keeps them moving forward.

Ranger Coordinator of the Year, Priscilla Reynolds, leads the GACS Ranger Team with strong cultural knowledge, strong leadership, and mentorship in community-based projects and on country work. Priscilla has consistently applied herself behind the scenes with dedication and reliability during the organisational changes. 

Priscilla has a can-do attitude and plans GACS on-country work, Elder consultations, and community events. She also empowers and mentors young Aboriginal women in the Goldfields community, including through the Kalgoorlie Boulder High School Stars Program. Priscilla also represented GACS in a women's leadership exchange in Melbourne this year.

Priscilla loves being a ranger, and her favourite place is to be working out on country. Her native plant and bush knowledge has been reflected into the design and creation of an amazing on-site native bush tucker garden to share with the community.

She has helped coordinate the GACS IDA Malleefowl Camp in 2023 and the GACS Telstra Cultural Exchange Camp earlier this year. She is an active member of Goldfields NAIDOC Committee and helped facilitate numerous events across NAIDOC Week 2024. Priscilla takes pride in her role as Ranger Coordinator and is a highly valued, respected and trusted member of the GACS Ranger Team and organisation.

Collaboration of the Year went to the Reading the Country Pilot Project, made up of the North Tanami Rangers and Warlpiri Rangers from the North and South Tanami IPAs with the Walungurru Rangers.

Yitaki Maninjaku Ngurungka (YMN), or "Reading the Country", is a culturally based tracking training framework designed for integration into IPA programs and ranger work plans. The framework includes 16 activities that support Yapa to teach and learn the knowledge and skills required to track animals expertly.

Collaboration has been central to the development of the Reading the Country training framework, involving partnerships across the Warlpiri region, with schools, neighbouring ranger groups, and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, who supported regular access to Newhaven, an excellent training ground. The YMN framework was created by the Reading the Country team, which included Warlpiri expert trackers, educators, and rangers from the North and South Tanami IPAs, residing in the communities of Yuendumu, Lajamanu, Nyirrpi and Willowra. Collaboration amongst Warlpiri and the team was essential, as the knowledge and decisions regarding how to teach future generations belong to all Warlpiri people. The decisions regarding how to teach future generations belong to all Warlpiri people. The team conducted at least ten focused workshops that provided time and space to discuss, develop, negotiate and learn from each other. These workshops covered topics such as country types, animal behaviour, Warlpiri teaching methods, and technical terms used to read the country, informing the production of bilingual resources to support both teachers and learners.

The team worked with Warlpiri schools, Walungurru Rangers, and elders to trial and review teaching methods and resources to ensure adaptibility. Through trial and error, focused discussions, experimentation, observation and reflection, the RtC team developed the training framework.

This outstanding group of rangers were recognised for their leadership journey and commitment to either learning from their elders or sharing knowledge with emerging rangers.

Looking after country is a big job. The world is now looking to Traditional Owners and Indigenous rangers to lead the way forward on protecting country. Global challenges like climate change and protecting threatened species are big topics of discussion, but with so many Indigenous rangers committed to looking after country, the future is looking bright.

The IDA would like to thank all the IDA members, rangers, directors and staff for showing up and standing up for desert country and culture in 2024.