, Badger Mount ChappellIslandand Only smallareas oftheoriginalspeciesnow Island (1,244hectares)was once well-wooded. few largetrees.Incontrast, nearby Badger grasslands originallycovered theisland,with and coastal plains.Low-growing shrublands Chappell whichrises198metres abovenarrow dominated bythesugarloaf-shaped ,asitiscommonlyknown,are The 350hectares(3.5squarekilometres)of Aboriginal Centre. Protected Areas(IPAs) bytheTasmanian small islandsarenowmanagedasIndigenous the Aboriginalcommunityin1995.Thetwo Tasmanian handedthembackto Government the seasonalfood-gatheringcycle,and of part Aboriginal peopleasanimportant The islandshavelongbeenregardedby Group ofislands. oftheFurneaux part Badger Islandform tip ofTasmania, MountChappellIslandand Found intheBassStraitoffnorth-eastern been visitingChappell Islandregularlyfor Communities ofAboriginalfamilies had Island. onChappell mutton birds,particularly harvest to the sealcoloniesby1838,and soonstarted Sealers followingintheirwake haddestroyed Strait onbehalfofthecolonialauthorities. Bass andMatthewFlindersthroughthe following theexplorationvoyageofGeorge inthe1790s, their naturalresourcesstarted The intenseexploitationoftheislandsfor regimes. inappropriate burning introduction ofexoticplantsandanimals, years ofovergrazingandlandclearing,the and plantspecies.Thishasresultedfrom degradation andthelossofnativeanimal environmental problems,includingland Both islandsexperiencearangeof teatree, andswamppaperbark. remain, includingstandsofsheoak,coastal

Indigenous Protected Areas Indigenous Protected Areas recreation. and for landscape/seascapeconservation Seascape: ProtectedAreamanagedmainly (IUCN) made underWorld Union Conservation Badger IslandIPAs inSeptember 2000was The declarationofMountChappelland mutton birdrookeries onChappell Island. the localcommunityalsohopetoincrease With Tasmania Parks andWildlife assistance, managers, andvisitsbytheTraditional Owners. to alloweasieraccessforworkteams,land and thedevelopmentofjettiesshelters animal control,culturalheritagemanagement, IPA projectsonbothislandsfocusferal stabilise thesoilandpreventerosion. island, andthenewlyplantedstockhelpsto onanearby propagated inasmallnursery major revegetationprogram.Localseedis a sites fromgrazinganimals,andsupports andheritage protect revegetationcorridors On BadgerIsland,IPA fundingishelpingto and scramblingtwin-leaf. island seaparsley, pellitory coastalbonefruit, of sometheisland’snativespeciessuchas IPA theregeneration fundingalsosupports replacing itwithcoastaltussockandboobialla. it.OnChappellIslandtheyare and burning bycutting,poisoning highly invasiveboxthorn thisaround.Theyareremovingthe to turn IPA fundingishelpingtheTraditional Owners for pasture. gave thebirdssomeprotection)wascleared nesting birdsandnativevegetation(which decline ofbirdrookeries. Sheeptrampled continued to1995,contributedthegradual colonial settlersintheearly1860sand Sheep grazing,whichwasintroducedby major seasonin1975. thistime,withthelast birding declinedafter up untilthe1950s.Commercialmutton- regular incomefromthemutton-birdindustry a onnearbyislands,earning permanently ago. Bythe1850smanyfamilieswereliving the regiondatestoatleast20,500years archaeological evidenceofoccupationin mutton-birding duringthebreedingseason— Art Credit: Art Revegetation onBadgerIsland.(Bottom) BadgerIslandseascape. Station.(Right) MtChappellIslandRanger Island. Back–(Left) Photo Credits: Category V– ProtectedLandscape/ Category Taken ©Eunice NungarayiWoods. fromoriginalartwork AllphotosbyIvanHaskovec. Front –Badger Unit. Email: Water ResourcesCommunityInformation oftheEnvironmentand Department gov.au/indigenous/ipa Freecall: Protected Areasvisit For aboutIndigenous moreinformation future generations. and landscapes, floraandfaunaforcurrent up toprotectexamplesofAustralia’s unique especially set nation-wide networkofreserves ofAustralia’s System,a part NationalReserve Mount ChappellandBadgerIslandIPA is 1800 803772 [email protected] www.environment. orcontactthe February 2007 February