The Danju-Jobs Together Program, facilitated by the Leschenault Catchment Council, was honoured to receive the NAIDOC 'Caring for Country and Culture' Award at the 2024 NAIDOC Ball this month. The Danju program provides training, mentoring and work opportunities for local Noongar people in the conservation, landcare and forestry sectors.

The NAIDOC Ball, held during NAIDOC week on Friday 12th July at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, is an opportunity for the people and businesses of Bunbury and the wider South West to come together and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of First Nations people.

The NAIDOC Caring for Country and Culture Award recognises the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities who care for, protect and nurture Country and culture. The award also recognises those who have demonstrated excellence in relation to caring for Country or culture, conservation of Country or culture, as well as demonstrated benefits to the community.

Lance McGuire, Danju Project Officer said, “I am really proud of the team and everything we have achieved over the last couple of years. We’ve been exposed to a whole variety of activities within the landcare industry, from tree planting and weed control to learning the basics of prescribed burns on country.
We’ve all worked really hard, and it is a real credit to the team that our efforts have been recognised by our community and resulted in us winning a NAIDOC Award this year.”
 
The Danju team have been busy this month, getting plants in the ground across the catchment. In the past few weeks alone the team have planted 9,500 seedlings in Boddington for South 32; 22,000 pines in Chowerup for Wespine; 3,000 seedlings in the Rosamel wetland for Greening Australia; and undertaken weed management and site preparation (for more planting!) in the City of Bunbury.

See photos of the team pictured L-R, Brandon Jetta, Pete Jetta, Lance McGuire and Chris Winmar receiving their award at the 2024 NAIDOC Yaka Dandjoo Events Ball, photo credit Henderson Photographics; and below L-R, Pete Jetta, Anthony Hansen, Brandon Jetta, Chris Winmar and Shannan Turvey, planting 4 hectares of habitat for black cockatoo at Rosamel Wetland as part of a State Government funded project through Green Jobs by Greening Australia.
 
The Danju program is made possible through generous funding support from South 32’s Community Investment Program.