Ngurrara 2 way learning project

The Ngurrara people from the Great Sandy Desert, in the Central Kimberley region of Northern Australia are the rainmakers of the vast, arid desert. 

The natural resources that dot our wild lands; the living water holes or jilas, bores and lakes are vital life source, providing nourishment to an intrinsic ecosystem of plants and animals.

With the responsibility and mandate to protect the diverse ecosystems of our land, the Ngurrara people have developed a ground breaking initiative to record and analyse weather patterns and climate change data through the "Ngurrara 2 Way Learning Project".

The Ngurrara 2 Way Learning Project is a 3 year cultural and environmental program combining western science and traditional knowledge to build the capacity, aspirations and employability skills of Ngurrara youth.

One hundred and twenty young Indigenous people, including up to 20 who are unemployed, will be engaged in the western scientific and Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) study of culturally and environmentally significant water sources in the northern Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia, approximately 200kms south east of Fitzroy Crossing.

Ngurrara 2 Way learning has 3 intertwined components: environmental, educational and employment. Integral across all components is the guidance and mentoring of Ngurrara Elders and Ngurrara Ranger Group working with young people in a culturally appropriate and sustainable way. 

This project is working in partnerships with a number or NGO's, Departments, community organisations, TO's and Ranger groups towards developing pathways for the youth within the Fitzroy Valley Area to address some of the concerning issues of truancy, crime rates, anti-social behaviours, employment and other social matters our youth and families are faced with.