IMW Australia trains 50 female rangers in QGIS fire mapping

Five of our team members travelled to Broome recently to facilitate QGIS training for Kimberley Land Council’s (KLC) Women in Fire Forum. QGIS is a popular free and open-source geographic information system (GIS) software. It is useful for rangers and other professionals who work in land monitoring and management to visualise, analyse and share data in an easy to understand way. Mapping fire in QGIS is just one of the many use cases for the software. It can also be used to map weed infestations, native revegetation efforts, sacred sites and more. 

The forum, held over several days, drew a crowd of 50 Indigenous female rangers from 13 ranger groups across the Kimberley. The event was an opportunity to share culture and knowledge around fire and provide space for attendees to develop new skills in using technology to help with fire management. 

Photo courtesy of Kimberley Land Council

Who was involved?

KLC organised and hosted the event, inviting fire specialists and land management experts from government bodies and Indigenous organisations across Western Australia. Some of the organisations that presented alongside Indigenous Mapping Workshop Australia at the forum were Indigenous Desert Alliance, Bush Heritage and Environs Kimberley. Attending ranger groups also presented at the forum, providing insight into their past and current activities that contribute to the ongoing health and care of Country.

What did IMW Australia teach?

Our team, led by Senior GIS Consultant Danielle Whitely, trained attendees in QGIS fire scar mapping, data importation and map creation. The training materials and content were a more in-depth and personalised version of some IMW Australia - On Demand courses; Introduction to QGIS and Pre-burn Fire Management with QGIS. For team members Khia, Holly, Grady and Franzi, it was their first time assisting at an in-person IMW Australia training since joining the team. GIS Analyst Intern, Khia said, “as a first timer helping facilitate training, it was very fulfilling to be able to provide support to the women whenever they were lost amongst the technicality of QGIS. It was also rewarding to see the women’s achievements, the progression, and the team work that occurred in the training.”

Speaking to her experience at the forum, Holly commented, “seeing so many women involved and engaged was amazing. It was such a privilege to hear the stories and knowledge from the rangers from each individual group and know that the training we were providing could go on and be implemented in the work they do.”

Why in-person IMW Australia Workshops are an important part of what we do

The Indigenous Mapping Workshop Australia courses were originally developed to be taught in-person. In the last two years adaptations have been made so that training can still be delivered online via our On Demand platform. 

However, as Jordanna Rebbeck, IMW Australia’s Program Manager notes, in-person training is still an important aspect of what IMW Australia does. She says, “for our community of learners, it's critical to be able to ask questions and get quick, personal guidance at the start of a journey into a new piece of technology in a space that's warm, welcoming, and made for Aboriginal people like us.”  

Are you interested in in-person IMW Australia training?

Thanks to the support from our funders, IMW Australia is able to provide free in-person training to four regional or remote Indigenous organisations each year. You can submit an enquiry to check the latest availability for this training through our Contact Us form.