Emerging Curators working with WA Museum's Aquatic Zoology team

A group of Uunguu Rangers from Wunambal Gaambera Country in the North Kimberley have taken part in an Emerging Curators Workshop at Western Australian Museum’s Collection and Research Centre to exchange cultural and scientific knowledge.

The Emerging Curators Workshop was the second stage in the learning program following the collection of marine species during an expedition by the group to Wunambal Gaambera Wundaagu (Sea Country) in the North Kimberley Marine Park in November 2023.

As part of the workshop Uunguu Rangers, Damon Bundamurra, Tabitha Kowan, Desmond Williams and Colleen Mangolamara, worked closely with WA Museum’s Aquatic Zoology staff to learn more about specimen curation, taxonomy and coral health and develop skills related to coral reef monitoring more broadly.

WA Museum Curator of Marine Invertebrate Zoology Associate Professor Zoe Richards said the expedition and workshop created an opportunity to exchange cultural and scientific knowledge.

“Having the Uunguu Rangers join our science team while we surveyed the marine biodiversity in the North Kimberley was immensely rewarding. They welcomed us to country, and graciously shared their cultural traditions,” she said.

"Just like traditional owners have the responsibility to look after land and sea country, we as scientists, have the responsibility to care for the specimens that we collect on country.”

“We collected thousands of specimens of coral, fish, shells, crabs, sponges and more on the fieldtrip and these specimens now need to be stored, identified, curated, reported, and shared. It was wonderful to be able to show the Rangers how we are caring for the specimens” she said.

The Emerging Curators workshop involved a series of collection, laboratory and field-based activities at the WA Museum Collections and Research Centre and the WA Museum Boola Bardip.

The week-long workshop is part of a larger collaborative program that sees Western Australian Museum, Curtin University, Parks Australia and Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation join forces to document marine biodiversity in Uunguu Wundaagu (Sea Country) in northwestern WA with the goal of protecting biodiversity of the region.

Tabitha Kowan, Uunguu Ranger, Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation said, “It has been really great to see all the Kimberley specimens from the trip last year and how well they are being looked after at the Museum.

“I also enjoyed looking at the Kimberley artefacts, especially the ones made by our family members,” she said.

“Plus going snorkelling and looking at the corals, fish, shells and algae was really fun, although the water was a bit colder than what I am used to.”

Funded by the Australian Government through the Our Marine Parks Program, Kimberley Reef Connect is a collaboration between Curtin University, the Western Australian Museum, Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation and Parks Australia.