Wildu minaka: Eagle eye drone training

2 minute read

(L-R) Tom Wilton, Jaymisha Whaleboat, Kalina Saunders, Ian Johnson, Bruce Wilton, Ryan Coulthard and Cameron Johnson.

Nantawarrina rangers spent some time this year learning how to use drones, to make some of their work on country easier.

(L-R) Kalina Saunders, Cameron Johnson, Jaymisha Whaleboat and Bruce Wilton setting up the drone ready to fly.

700kms north of Adelaide, the rangers work on Nantawarrina IPA in Adnyamathanha Country. It's not easy country to get around on foot – dust layered scrub gives way to rocky tree-lined gorges and mountain ranges that the rangers care for.

Nantawarrina Rangers

Moro Gorge from the air.

Moro Gorge from standing point.

Where previously they had to hike to certain places in the IPA, whether that's up to rocky outcrops to check Andu (yellow-footed rock-wallaby) traps, or down to check on waterholes, with the use of the drone, the rangers can now fly anywhere. They also identified that it will be helpful for feral animal control, and monitoring their revegetation project using the mapping feature.

"Once you spot [feral animal] tracks you can fly the drone up and try to spot them."

Ryan Coulthard, Nantawarrina Ranger

Nantawarrina Rangers

Feral goats just outside the IPA.

"Very useful ... checking traps, checking on reveg and springs, and hard to get to places. Yeah it'll be very useful."

Ryan Coulthard, Nantawarrina Ranger

(L-R) Staf Smith, drone trainer, Ryan Coulthard and Ian Johnson, Nantawarrina Rangers, flying the drone.

Watching the drone take off.

(L-R) Jaymisha Whaleboat, Kalina Saunders, Bruce Wilton and Ian Johnson flying the drone through the cliffs, looking for yellow-footed rock-wallaby.

It's not just accessibility and mapping that drones can help with, the good quality photos and videos they take make them a great tool for showing country to Elders, or other members of the community who aren't able to get out on country anymore.

"It's good to keep for yourself and the community. Something to keep for the future and to show people what it looked like back then."

Ryan Coulthard, Nantawarrina Ranger

Ryan Coulthard flies the drone while Ian Johnson keeps an eye on the sky, looking out for eagles.

Throughout the training week, the rangers mapped Nipapanha community and Moro Gorge, checked on some springs, and got some great shots of Andu up in the cliffs – all in between dodging wedge-tailed eagles chasing the drone!

"Flying them was alright ... it takes good photos."

Tom Wilton, Nantawarrina Ranger

Nantawarrina Rangers

(Clockwise, from left) The cliffs where rangers found several yellow-footed rock-wallaby, Waukla Woodna, Nantawarrina IPA; Yellow-footed rock-wallaby perch up in the rocky outcrops of Nantawarrina IPA; (L-R) Cameron Johnson, Kalina Saunders, Nantawarrina Rangers, and Briony Jarmyn, IDA Senior Project Officer, looking for Andu in the cliffs using the drone.

"It was good, I loved it."

Kalina Saunders, Nantawarrina Ranger

Nipapanha Community Aboriginal Corporation

In 1998, the Nipapanha (formerly known as Nepabunna) Community created Australia’s first Indigenous Protected Area on the old pastoral station of Nantawarrina. The property was then degraded through over-grazing and successive droughts. After taking over management and using traditional knowledge, Nipapanha Community implemented a ranger program to restore the land and biodiversity to good health. Nipapanha is proud of the progress they have made to this goal.

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