On June 11, ICIN CEO Anna Boustead joined ICIN Director and Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation Chairwoman Catherine Goonack at a workshop at Kalumburu, on Kwini Country. The purpose of the workshop was to share research findings conducted on Wunambal Gaambera Country by the University of Queensland (UQ) and North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) regarding the impact of cattle on the carbon emissions of wetlands.
Around 50 people travelled to the beautiful Kalumburu community in the North Kimberley for the workshop, including Traditional Owners and staff from ICIN member organisations Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation, Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation, Balangarra Aboriginal Corporation and the Kimberley Land Council.
Visitors were welcomed to Country with a smoking ceremony lead by Kwini Traditional Owners.
UQ researchers found that when hooved animals such as cattle, buffalo, donkeys, horses or pigs muck up wetlands, they squash down the soil, removing air and making soil wetter. This changes the soil chemistry, meaning it produces more methane - a strong greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. It also squashes many of the little plants around the wetland's edges, contributing even more greenhouse gas emissions.
By managing the populations of these feral hard hooved animals, or by excluding sensitive wetland areas using a fence, wetlands can be restored over time, significantly reducing the amount of greenhouse gases produced by wetlands and storing more carbon in soils and plants.
Driven by concerns held by Traditional Owners about the impact hard hooved animals are having upon their wetlands, four years ago ICIN member organisations formed a Feral Ungulate Management Working Group to look at opportunities to support carbon method development that values the removal of feral hard hooved animals. UQ and NAILSMA have been working with members of this working group over the past two years after their researchers identified an opportunity to measure the climate impact of hard hooved animals upon wetlands.
UQ has released a draft version of the Improved Hard Hooved Animal Management in Wetlands carbon method, which can be viewed here, and is currently inviting feedback.
Valerie Hagger and Jack Hill from UQ presented the results of their research on Wunambal Gaambera Country, collecting data over the past two weeks to measure emissions on cattle-impacted wetlands in the region and compare this with sites that were not impacted. Their work was conducted in very remote areas accessible only by helicopter. The results confirm that significant levels of emissions arise when wetland soils are compacted by hard hooved animals, compared to non-impacted areas. It also showed that any degree of reduction in impact by feral animals will reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions released.
At the workshop, Anna Boustead presented an overview of the 'Blue Carbon: Opportunities for Indigenous People discussion paper' which links into this method development work where it overlaps with coastal floodplain areas.
At the conclusion of the workshop, Cathy Goonack presented UQ's researchers with a book about Wunambal Gaambera culture and rock art in recognition of their hard work.
Thank you to Kwini people for hosting us on your Country, and to project partners Wunambal Gaambera, the Kimberley Land Council, UQ, Charles Darwin University, NESP and NAILSMA for their support.
