Red Chief Local Aboriginal Land Council has welcomed the Galuma-li Dhawun Rangers all women’s rangers team.

Galuma-li Dhawun is Kamilaroi for Caring for Country.

The team is made up of five rangers, a senior ranger, and rangers coordinator.

RCLALC was able to receive funding for the rangers through the National Indigenous Australians Agency for the Indigenous Rangers Program.

The Indigenous Rangers Program has been running for more than five years and has proven to be a highly successful program for communities and Country.

Rangers use a mixture of western science, traditional cultural practices, and knowledge to not only help restore natural and cultural heritage sites but to let it thrive.

Nationwide, there are currently more than 130 indigenous ranger groups.

Many of the Galuma-li Dhawun Rangers have similar reasons for wanting to be a part of the program.

Wanting to help Country heal but also pass on knowledge and inspire younger generations.

Ranger Lahni Natty said that joining an all women’s ranger group was also part of the inspiration to wanting to be a part of the Galuma-li Dhawun Rangers.

“What stuck out to me was the fact that it was an all-women’s team,” Lahni said.

“That was what won me over, I wanted to work in a full women’s team and be managed by a woman and have a senior women’s ranger. We’re very privileged to be a part of the only female rangers team.

“We service the Gunnedah area as far as Breeza and we’ll be doing majority of cultural sites in and around town.”

Beginning February 2, the rangers haven’t eased into things. Instead, choosing to hit the ground running.

Two days into their roles, they attended a bird flu information day in Armidale, preparing the rangers on how to best prepare in the case that bird flu comes to Gunnedah.

They have also recently attended the 2026 Native Grains Harvest in Narrabri.

The two-day event was focused on the benefits of native grains and farming methods, yarns around the potential health benefits of these native grains and how implementing similar practices into western farming methods could be beneficial for the wider community.

“We’re still getting there, still learning,” Ranger Nakita Silver said.

“There’s a lot of responsibility and stuff that comes along with the role, so we’re trying to learn every aspect of what we have to be careful with when it comes to both the physical and spiritual side of things.

“But we just can’t wait to get out on country and see what we’ve got.”

RCLALC and the Galuma-li Dhawun Rangers have also organised a full week of activities in celebration of International Women’s Day.

For ranger coordinator Cathie Wise, looking after Country has been a big part of her life for 36 years.

In her new role as ranger coordinator, she hopes to continue to help Country thrive, but also show younger generations that they can thrive too.

“I think it’s very important that our wildlife, all flora and fauna, be looked after and protected,” she said.

“I’ve been a wildlife carer for 36 years, so I look after all of our native animals and it’s really, really important that in looking after them, we also have a place for them to go back to. That we have a happy Country, a Country that’s how it should be.

“The biggest achievement is education, we need to educate people to look after our Country, education on how to do that, and education on providing services for that to be done.

“My big picture for this group, for the women rangers, is to train all these women up to do their job safely, and appropriately. I hope to get a junior rangers team up and running through the high school for seniors, so then they have work if they want when they finish high school.

“The big picture is success.”

The Galuma-li Dhawun Rangers are settling into their roles, the team already having formed a strong bond.

The rangers are excited for their future and are looking forward to getting more involved with the community.