Arid Lands Environment Centre with the Indigenous Desert Alliance (NT) have been awarded a Froggatt award for community advocacy for their successful campaign to convince the Northern Territory Government to declare buffel grass as a weed in the Northern Territory.
The Froggatt Awards are named in honour of the Australian entomologist Walter Froggatt who was the lone voice lobbying against the deliberate release of cane toads in the 1930s. They recognise outstanding achievements in Australia’s fight against environmental weeds, diseases and pest animals.
It is given to those who have made a major contribution to protecting Australia’s native plants and animals, ecosystems and people from dangerous new invasive species.
Quotes Adrian Tomlinson, CEO Arid Lands Environment Centre:
“ALEC thanks the Invasive Species Council for this Froggatt Award.
“I love that this award is shared with the Indigenous Desert Alliance. It is doing amazing work to stop buffel's spread. This work is urgent - the impact buffel on Aboriginal people living in remote areas and country is tragic and epic in scale.
“The award reflects the power of an organised community. The communities' contribution is singled out on the award certificate.
“The weed declaration in the NT recognised what we all knew, buffel grass is a weed. Buffel is having devastating consequences on the environment, culture, industries and health.
The Froggatt Awards are named in honour of the Australian entomologist Walter Froggatt who was the lone voice lobbying against the deliberate release of cane toads in the 1930s. They recognise outstanding achievements in Australia’s fight against environmental weeds, diseases and pest animals.
It is given to those who have made a major contribution to protecting Australia’s native plants and animals, ecosystems and people from dangerous new invasive species.
Quotes Adrian Tomlinson, CEO Arid Lands Environment Centre:
“ALEC thanks the Invasive Species Council for this Froggatt Award.
“I love that this award is shared with the Indigenous Desert Alliance. It is doing amazing work to stop buffel's spread. This work is urgent - the impact buffel on Aboriginal people living in remote areas and country is tragic and epic in scale.
“The award reflects the power of an organised community. The communities' contribution is singled out on the award certificate.
“The weed declaration in the NT recognised what we all knew, buffel grass is a weed. Buffel is having devastating consequences on the environment, culture, industries and health.
“Weed declaration is just the beginning. The next steps are crucial. These are representing the Northern Territory community to make sure the buffel weed management plan that follows this weed declaration is effective; and securing National level support to turn the tide on buffel.
“This is a genuinely grassroots campaign. ALEC's work was funded by our supporters' donations. On behalf of ALEC I thank our supporters. With so much still to be done, we need to keep this going.
Quotes Gareth Catt, spokesperson for the Indigenous Desert Alliance:
“The Indigenous Desert Alliance is pleased to accept the Froggatt Award from the Invasive Species Council on behalf of its members who have been calling on governments of all levels to recognise the impacts and threats that buffel grass or tjanpi kura (bad grass) has on Aboriginal communities and the lands they care for.”
“Indigenous people of the desert need support to better protect their communities from this choking weed. Homes and communities are threatened from dangerous wildfires that buffel grass makes worst. Backyards are covered in buffel grass where children once played and sacred sites are overgrown where native plants and animals once lived.”
“Indigenous desert rangers are working hard to stop the march of this weed across the Territory, but they can’t do it alone. The NT Government’s declaration that buffel grass is a weed will enable Territorians and all Australians to stand together in urgent efforts to better manage buffel grass.”
Media Contact: Adrian Tomlinson, 0456701951
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