24/09/2026
🌳 What can a scar tree tell us about the health of a floodplain?
This week, Indigenous Facilitators from across the Murray–Darling Basin came together on the Chowilla Floodplain for two days of learning, sharing and getting hands-on in the field.
Indigenous Facilitators are part of The Living Murray (TLM) Indigenous Partnership Program (IPP) and play an important role in strengthening First Nations participation in environmental water management across The Living Murray Icon Sites.
Hosted by the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC) and SA Department for Environment and Water, the visit has provided an opportunity to share Cultural knowledge and explore how it can be integrated with environmental science to support caring for Country.
At Chowilla, the group worked alongside RMMAC Rangers to set and process fyke nets, listen to the Cultural significance of scar trees across the Chowilla Floodplain, and observed how scar tree health is monitored and recorded. The group also explored how this information informs environmental water delivery and supports the protection of important Cultural heritage.
They also heard about Aboriginal Water Assessments and how they help build a deeper understanding of culturally important places to inform priorities for cultural protection, environmental water delivery and monitoring.
The event provided a valuable opportunity to share experiences, learn from one another, and take new knowledge and ideas back to their own communities across the Basin.
