Gariwerd Animal Biodiversity Alliance

Here are some simple ways you can help wildlife in the Gariwerd area. Our ecosystem is rich and complex. Protecting and supporting one species has a flow on effect and benefits all species. Please act on behalf of our kangaroos.

DUNKELD killing 2024

The tranquil beauty of places like Gariwerd (Grampians) in Western Victoria is marred by the slaughter of kangaroos. Alongside kangaroo families and their young, who are the primary victims are the secondary victims: nature lovers, tourism businesses, and the rural Victorians who enjoy the unique joy of living in peace alongside other species.

Here local tourism business owner Jane Gibb explains what life is like amidst this wildlife slaughter. See this two minute video by Kangaroos Alive

We will post more soon about how you can help and what you can do.

DUNKELD killing 2024

Here is our GABA submission to the Victorian Government's review of our animal protection laws https://engage.vic.gov.au/new-animal-welfare-act-victoria
I am posting a picture of the first page here. The full submission is available via gaba.eco. Or you can access it here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dka6wv3ezxmndn3ya4ffx/GABA-Submission-to-Victorian-Animal-Care-and-Protection-Laws-2024.pdf?rlkey=g3vuzn7rnob1q4u0yw3ki1qye&dl=0

It’s unacceptably cruel and irrational to legalise the theriocide of native kangaroos who were here long before shooters and introduced species. Have your say to protect Country, ecosystems, biodiversity, our collective interdependent future, and kangaroos.

CALL TO ACTION: ‘KANGAROO HARVEST MANAGEMENT PLAN (KHMP) 2024-2028’ DRAFT OPEN FOR COMMENT

A few months ago the community was invited to complete a very cumbersome survey regarding the KHMP for 2024-2028. Now the draft document has been prepared and it is open for comment once again. It is simpler this time with written responses under six headings to be emailed by 5pm Monday, 4 December 2023.

Click here for details: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/wildlife-trade/comment/vic-kangaroo-harvest-management-plan-2024-28

In a nutshell, not much has changed. It is just as awful and unenforceable as ever. There are three main changes:

- From 2025, there will be a wider exclusion zone around the metro area, removing a number of regions from commercial shooting (Hume, Brimbank, Melton, Nillumbik, Whittlesea, Cardinia, Casey, Mornington Peninsula, Hobsons Bay, Wyndham)
- From 2025, shooting zones will be reorganised as five zones instead of seven.
- Provisions have been made to allow commercial shooters on public land.

So there is a win with the exclusion zone extension, but a huge concern regarding public land. Ultimately, any KHMP is a catastrophe.

We will aim to provide some guidance on how to respond, but given the short timeframe (and some major personal happenings limiting my availability), please give it a go based on these resources:

https://www.creativecowboyfilms.tv/earth/commercial-exploitation-of-kangaroos-in-victoria-2023-the-year-so-far -victorian-kangaroo-harvest-management-plan-2024-2028

https://vickangas.org/issues

It doesn’t need to be a technical response, something from the heart reflecting your concerns for kangaroo welfare and sustainability, and human safety and amenity would be fantastic. You can show your support for extending the exclusion zones but ask for that to happen sooner, or ideally make the whole state an exclusion zone!

First Nations collectively condemn the killing of dingos. Please ensure the Victorian government changes their policy before October 31. https://lnkd.in/gmQSp4T3

Here is a research study being conducted at Monash about community attitudes to wildlife, including specifically dingoes.

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Hey all. Come along to a 2-day workshop in permaculture to be held in Dunkeld.

Introduction to Permaculture - 2 day workshop in Dunkeld Join Kirsty Williams, Horticulturalist and Permaculture Designer from Growing Home Permaculture for this 2 day, comprehensive Introduction to Permaculture course. Together we’ll discover all things permaculture including the ethics and principles, property analysis and design, building fantastic s...

Kangaroos help craft the landscape and are especially important to regenerating native grasslands which are home to many smaller species. The claim of “damage” in some circles perpetuates the colonial mindset where anything that interferes with colonial pursuits like ruminant farming is given clear priority over anything or anyone indigenous to this Land.

It's an ecological no-brainer that kangaroos benefit their co-evolved vegetation/soil health.

This science measured the effects of kangaroo and sheep droppings on the biomass and nutrient uptake of perennial native wallaby grass (Rytidosperma auriculatum - widely used in restoration projects) and invasive wild oat (Avena barbata).

Not surprisingly, the kangaroo droppings produced "significantly higher aboveground, belowground and total biomass" production in the Wallaby Grass. Kangaroo droppings also had a negative effect on the wild oats.

The sheep dung did not affect the biomass production of either species.

This concurs with recent science confirming "native herbivores produce positive effects on native plant richness, soil health, and productivity."

The researchers suppose that the biomass production "may not be directly related to dung nutrient content, but the dung characteristics that affect plant growth". This includes the chemical and biological composition of kangaroo dung resulting from differences in the digestion/fermentation process of kangaroos, and the interaction between dung and soil microbial communities.

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Guevara-Torres & Facelli (2023). 'Choose Local: Dung Addition from Native Herbivores Can Produce Substantial Positive Effects on the Growth of Native Grasses Compared to Livestock Dung.' Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition.

We are delighted to honour all Elders this NAIDOC week. This image is by Dr Tjanara Goreng-Goreng who is a Wakka Wakka Wulli Wulli woman. Her art illustrates sacred leadership so we felt it appropriate to share this image that reminds us of the great opportunity we have when we listen to, and spend time with, our Elders. Whatever culture we may be from, let us respect those who came before us, and what they have taught us about the old ways of reciprocity. Even those of other species have intergenerational learning and wisdom passed onto the young ones by the old ones. In reverence and gratitude to all Elders who call Gariwerd home, and to all other Elders everywhere without exception.

“When a human being relates to an individual non-human being as an anonymous object, rather than as a being with (her or his) own subjectivity, it is the human, and not the other animal, who relinquishes personhood.” - Barbara Smuts (in ‘The Lives of Animals’ 1999: 118)

A powerful earth connection practice, for all people of all ancestral lineages. Get to connect deeply with our non-human mob and our kinship with Country.

Did you know that our ancestors had a deep connection with the earth that sustained them for centuries? They had a profound understanding of nature and lived sustainably by respecting and protecting the environment. It's time for us to reconnect with our roots and learn from their wisdom to build a more sustainable future. Let's honor our ancestors by adopting eco-friendly practices and living in harmony with nature. Together, we can preserve the earth for generations to come.

It’s good to see the world responding to this cruel colonial practice.

US to consider banning kangaroo products amid cruelty complaints | The Business | ABC News Commercial kangaroo shooters are regulated under a national code that's supposed to protect animal welfare, but animal rights activists say what happens in r...

The colonial practice of mass slaughter of Wildife must stop. For the sake of locals, wildlife caters and visitors. For the sake of biodiversity which will be compromised without their presence. And most definitely for the sake of kangaroos.

'We are frightened in our own home': Jane is part of a growing campaign to stop kangaroo culling Commercial kangaroo shooters are regulated under a national code that's supposed to protect animal welfare, but activists say what happens in rural Australia at night can be in breach of it, putting the industry under threat.

1080 is an intensely cruel poison with primary, secondary and even tertiary victims. Make our forests free from poison. Care for country the proper way. The old way. Allow everyone to do their job. Including dingos. Return and protect dingos, and ban 1080.

This year's NAIDOC theme is "For Our Elders". We respect the wisdom and vision of our elders. We also acknowledge and seek the understanding from all the ancestral tracks that still inform us today in caring for Country. We especially speak to the elders of Gariwerd. As well as a beautiful act of reverence, this drawing is also a chance to be creative with colouring in! See the original post below for more info.

Newsletter Colouring Competition! 🎨

Colour in the picture below and bring it to 135 Kepler Street to go in the draw to win some NAIDOC goodies!

One person from each category below will be selected to win 1 of 5 goodie bags:
0-5
6-10
11-14
15-25
26+

Come in to pick yours up from 135 Kepler Street or check out page 15 of our June Newsletter, print and bring it into head office:
www.gunditjmara.org.au/newsletters

"Sometimes I wonder if echidnas ever suffer from the same delusion that many humans have, that their species is the intelligent centre of the universe. They are smart enough: their prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain used for complex reasoning and decision making, is the biggest in relation to body size of any mammal. Fifty per cent of the echidna brain is used for some of the hardest kinds of thinking. In humans, it is not even thirty per cent.
In acknowledging this, I am paying my respects to the sentient totemic entities all over Australia where these echidnas follow the longlines of their creation: maps of story carrying knowledge along the lines of energy that manifest as Law in the mind and land as one, webbed throughout the traditional lands of the First Peoples."
- Tyson Yunkaporta "Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World". Tyson Yunkaporta

Today is World Oceans Day, and a good day to acknowledge the importance of Water Country. One of the most abundant waterfalls is Migunang Wirab (Mackenzie Falls) in Gariwerd. Migunang Wirab means "black fish floating on water" in the language of the Jardwadjali people.

It was good to read this research demonstrating the distinctive genetics of dingoes in contrast to dogs.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/ZA2UIMVZS6EEM5WAXQ7K?target=10.1111/mec.16998
We hope that government changes the inflammatory and indiscriminate term "wild dogs" in legislation to better protect this continent's sole apex predator. Below is a dingo pup, and a demonstration of the unique physiology of the dingo, from the Dingo Discovery Centre.

Indeed! Thank you VKA for explaining the crucial role of kangaroos so well. A reminder that when every part of the ecosystem (including us) operates at its best, everyone benefits.

This World Environment Day, let’s take a minute to appreciate what is great about our natural world. Of course, we think our greatest treasure is the magnificent, gentle, loving, soulful kangaroos!

Kangaroos have evolved perfectly with this landscape over twenty million years and play a vital ecological role. They are nature’s gardeners, gently pruning and reducing the fuel load whilst dispersing seeds, aerating the soil with their long claws and fertilising it with their nutrient rich dung. The shallow hipholes they dig for rest accumulate nutrients, water and seeds that help maintain woodland diversity.

Let’s never take them for granted. Never stop fighting to end their persecution and exploitation. Never stop advocating for them to be loved, protected and respected, just as they deserve. Long may they bound freely across their ancient homeland.

A gentle half hour meditation in recognition and celebration of our remarkable blue-green planet and all who inhabit her. Happy world environment day.

World Environment Day Video 05 06 2021

All animals and habitats are important. Everyone matters. Including you. Including me.

Gariwerd is a unique and sacred area. Origin dreamtime stories about the creation of Gariwerd honour the eagle, crow, dingo, emu and frog. The not-for-profit work of GABA is to respect all animals and the Country in which they live, play, travel and explore. Their wellbeing is our wellbeing.
The image of Bunjil below was accessed here: https://www.thecitizen.org.au/articles/imagining-bunjil-foothills-gariwerd-aka-grampians