Turtles are connecting kids to Country and conservation in the Pilbara!

December 2024

DBCA’s North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program and West Pilbara Turtle Program are working with schools and community organisations across the Pilbara to support access to remote Sea Country and marine turtle conservation experiences for Aboriginal young people.

The partnerships between DBCA, Onslow School, Roebourne District High School and Waalitj Foundation are empowering Aboriginal young people and future conservation leaders, educating and engaging communities, and achieving long-term conservation goals for flatback turtle populations in the Pilbara. 

Manager of Onslow Waalitj Foundation, Suzanne Wilson, said the DBCA and Waalitj Foundation “Turtle Camp” has been running every year since 2019 on Thevenard Island. 

“Turtle Camp is a special opportunity for Aboriginal families from Onslow to be together on Sea Country and make connections with significant places and sea life that can be passed along for generations to come.” 

The experience also provides hands-on education that complements STEM curriculum at the regional schools. Roebourne District High School deputy principal, Atanas Dimitrov, said the camp on Delambre Island, now in its third year, provides an authentic opportunity for local young people to engage with Country in a scientific manner. 

“To be part of the scientific process that allows the mangurlarra [children] to conduct monitoring and see how that information is used is valuable learning as custodians of ngurra [Country].” 

You can learn more about these experiences in our recently published paper in Marine and Freshwater Research or by watching the video here.

Photo - DBCA