GABBIE Kylie Foundation, an Esperance-based indigenous foundation dedicated to conservation and interpretation of Aboriginal culture, has been nominated for a prestigious environmental award.
Gabbie Kylie, which is a unique collaborative arrangement between the National Trust of Australia (WA) and traditional owners of Western Australia’s
south east of WA, has been short listed for the national Banksia Environmental Foundation award.
Gabbie Kylie Foundation co-ordinator and traditional owner, Ron ‘Doc’ Reynolds said, that it was the Oscars of environmental awards in Australia.
“The Prime Minister and Minister for Environment will be presenting the awards on October 15 in Sydney,” he said.
Mr Reynolds who is an elder of the Noongar people, also said the nomination was a real tribute to the hard-working team who have built up the program and delivered a number of projects in the region.
“We have really only just begun, and hope to use this nomination and increased exposure to expand the program to new heights,” he said.
“Research, close community collaboration, partnerships with the professional sector and innovative projects such as field schools have all helped to achieve excellent outcomes.
“In the Esperance region of southern Western Australia, the traditional owners are implementing a range of projects to protect and restore unique cultural places and landscapes, while helping to protect the spectacular environment of this isolated region.”
The Gabbie Kylie Foundation is a unique initiative, achieving these outcomes. Mr Reynolds said that Gabbie (means water) and Kylie (means boomerang), is a Noongar dialect for Esperance, has seven vital components.
These are employment and training; cultural and natural heritage conservation and management of projects; field schools in applied heritage management and sustainable development. It also provides a health and society bush camp; heritage, cultural and eco-tourism and anthropological and archaeological research opportunities.
“Our organisation is traditional owner initiated and driven by the Noongar people.
“There has been $1.5 million worth of cultural and environmental work done along the south coast, with a good majority of that being in kind against the funding we’ve received.”
Mr Reynolds said that this in kind participation, is in the form of field school attendance by students and professionals who are involved in archaeological or geological fields.
“Students come from all over the world to participate in these cultural and environmental programmes,” Mr Reynolds said.
Since their inception in 1989, the Banksia Environmental Awards have earned the reputation as the most prestigious environmental awards in Australia.
National Trust of Australia chief executive officer, Tom Perrigo, said the partnership between the National Trust and Aboriginal communities in Western Australia was critical to the long term conservation and interpretation of Western Australia’s heritage.
The Banksia People's Choice Award is open for voting now at - www.peopleschoice.com.au
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