Northern Land Council applied eDNA for a program that involved Aboriginal Rangers undertaking eDNA monitoring on Country at culturally significant sites important to their communities. This project enabled the development and formalisation of skills and capabilities for eDNA sampling through a workshop-based learning program designed to support future monitoring activities.
Traditional Owner eDNA Training and Certification program
Conservation
As part of water management and licensing decisions, the NT Government considers cultural values, and their reliance on water. It is important to ensure that cultural values are not adversely impacted because of water extraction and management decisions. To increase understanding of these values, eDNA is being used as a safe and efficient tool to better understand cultural values which are dependent on water.
EnviroDNA provided an online and in-person eDNA sampling training workshop for Aboriginal Rangers to enable the ongoing ability for waterway monitoring activities. To establish reference samples for 2021-22 period (and subsequently in 2022-2024) eDNA sampling was conducted at culturally important sites to determine aquatic fauna species in the Daly, Roper and Barkly regions.
This is a collaborative project between NLC and non-NLC Aboriginal Ranger Groups, NT Government Water Resources Division and EnviroDNA.
EnviroDNA offers a Traditional Owner eDNA Training & Certification Program that provides Traditional Owners as the waterway managers and environmental water holders on Country, with the background, knowledge, and skills to undertake eDNA water sampling on Country and learn about species distribution. This training program is tailored to suit each group’s needs, including multi-day on Country field sessions and shorter, hybrid-online programs.