A decade of connection: 2024 IDA Conference

The IDA Conference took place on 12-14 November 2024 at Yulara, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Katiti Petermann Indigenous Protected Area – the largest gathering of Indigenous rangers in Australia with 423 delegates from 54 ranger groups making the journey to the red centre.

The conference theme this year was “A decade of connection”, to celebrate 10 years of connecting, learning and working together as an alliance and network. A big focus of the conference was strengthening the alliance, yarning about matters of regional importance, sharing information and most importantly, connecting with each other. 

The conference was reported in the ABC and on ICTV.

Over the three days, ranger teams from across the desert presented on protecting significant species through feral predator management, their ranger exchange experiences and right way fire. Outside of keynote presentations, the program also included field trips, and several workshops, themed sessions and an interactive space with a virtual reality experience and a 3D fire simulation tool.

The field trips gave delegates the opportunity to get out on Country, with options to learn about drones, photography, bush medicine, or predator management, plus the option to take the Mala Tjukurrpa walk guided by a UKTNP Traditional Owner, and spoken in Pitjantjatjara language. Meanwhile, back at the conference centre, ranger teams came together to yarn up about fire work and do some planning for the future.

As usual, the ranger-to-ranger sessions were a big focus of conference, giving rangers, Elders, coordinators and program managers the opportunity to share their aspirations and concerns for the sector. The conversations had at these sessions will strongly inform the agenda of the IDA over the next year.

The Ranger of the Year Award recipients were announced as part of an evening celebration on day two, recognising the outstanding achievements of desert rangers and their commitment to looking after country. Read the full blog on the Awards night here. 

Day three wrapped up with live music from the Mutitjulu Band on the oval! It was a busy three days, but everyone had a great time connecting up and yarning with old friends, and making new ones. As IDA CEO Sam Murray said,

The IDA would like thank the sponsors of the 2024 IDA Conference – BHP, The Nature Conservancy, Westpac, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water, and the BHP Foundation. 

Most of all, thank to you the hundreds of rangers who journeyed from all corners of the desert to celebrate ten years of connection together.