The inaugural Junior Rangers National Gathering took place in mid-May at Yitpi Yartapuultiku in Port Adelaide, South Australia, and Nature Foundation was honoured to support planning and preparation for the gathering and to participate in the program of presentations.
The Junior Rangers National Gathering was facilitated by Ninti One, who have been engaged by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) to facilitate the Junior Rangers Capacity Building Program to support the 59 provider organisations that deliver Junior Rangers on-Country learning activities at over 61 sites across Australia.
Nature Foundation is one of these providing organisations, having successfully applied for and received multi-year funding support from NIAA (extended to the end of 2027) to assist with the delivery of our Kids on Country™ Junior Ranger Program.
Since its pilot in 2016, Kids on Country™ has delivered 53 camps, positively impacting 632 Aboriginal young people across South Australia.
The two-day gathering brought together around 109 attendees including 38 Junior Ranger providers, from across Australia, comprised of Rangers, Junior Ranger Coordinators, Engagement Officers from NIAA and 15 Ninti One MEL Framework team members. Tailored workshops were aligned to the three priority streams: governance, curriculum design and data for decision-making, and served as the formal launch of the Capacity Building Program.
A key theme for the gathering was the importance of collaboration and partnerships for successful delivery of and outcomes from junior ranger programs.
Nature Foundation’s Katie Perry (Youth Programs Coordinator) and Warren Milera (Youth Programs and Conservation Officer) shared insights, challenges, and learnings from 10 years of Kids on Country™, emphasising the importance of building relationships, starting with Aboriginal communities, and maintaining flexibility.
Following the keynote, Katie, Warren and Kids on Country™ team members and partners, including our Conservation Trainee Raijieli Bovoro, Cultural Facilitator John Solar, Community Engagement Officer from SA Arid Lands Landscape Board, Alice Allington and one of our Education Department champions, Golden Grove High School’s Aboriginal Education Teacher, Matt Ujhelyi, participated in a panel discussion on what genuine collaboration looks like when Aboriginal communities, young people, schools, and partner organisations come together with shared purpose.
Nature Foundation Conservation Trainee, Raijieli Bovoro and Timici Tuikaba, a Kids on Country Aboriginal Advisory Group member, also presented at the gathering, sharing their experiences as participants in the Kids on Country™ Junior Ranger Program and how it has impacted and influenced their identities, schooling, and career choices.
We are proud that junior rangers have been placed centre stage, showcasing stories of success and positive impacts that extend well beyond the classroom and time spent on camp, and look forward to this initial gathering inspiring continued support and engagement from the broader community and partners.
Learn more about Nature Foundation’s Kids on Country™ Junior Ranger Program:
Donate to support the Kids on Country™ Junior Ranger Program
Enquire about corporate support for the program