Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association (BNAA) is a Noongar-led environmental charity located on Whadjuk-Noongar Boodja in the Perth Hills. BNAA’s BoorYul-Bah-Bilya (BBB) program aims to create a new model of river management, based on the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) catchment. The BBB Rangers team works alongside local communities to restore ecosystems and reconnect people with waterways throughout Mundaring, Kalamunda, Gooseberry Hill, Pickering Brook, Glen Forrest, Darlington, Boya, Koongamia, Helena Valley, Bushmead, Bellevue, Midland, Hazelmere, Woodbridge and Guildford.

They believe in bringing back the traditional ways of caring for country for the benefit of all people who live on Noongar Boodja.

Their work is critical to restoring ecosystems and reinvigorating cultural heritage that has been degraded over time, allowing them to reconnect communities with rivers and each other through a shared love for country.

BoorYul-Bah-Bilya - Photo by Emily Wilson
Photo by Emily Wilson

Their objectives are to:

  • Protect and restore the natural environment and its cultural significance from an Aboriginal perspective.
  • Provide education, research, training and management on the natural environment and its cultural significance.
  • Engage and consult with the wider community and encourage greater participation in the natural environment.

Their activities are led from a Noongar perspective but designed so everyone can benefit from the knowledge and systems that have balanced these lands from the beginning.

BNAA have a Rangers team, who work with local communities to restore ecosystem health, reinvigorate culture and reconnect communities with their waterways.

They work with many community groups, businesses, schools, researchers, residents and government agencies to deliver collaborative activities that and connect us all together.

The BoorYul-Bah-Bilya Program is their flagship initiative that aims to address declining river health by creating a new model of river catchment management to mark the 2029 Perth Bicentenary.

BoorYul-Bah-Bilya Photo by Francesca Flynn
Photo by Francesca Flynn

BBB is currently focused on the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) catchment in Perth, but BNAA hope to have widespread impact by creating a model to inspire the revival of all rivers.

Contact

Contact BNAA on admin@bibbul.org, or visit: their website: https://bibbul.org/

Location

BNAA work across Noongar Boodja, predominantly on Whadjuk, Ballardong and Gnaala Karla Boodja.

The BoorYul-Bah-Bilya program covers the entirety of the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) catchment including part of the local government areas of Swan, Mundaring, Kalamunda, York, Beverley and Northam.

The BBB Rangers team works alongside local communities to restore ecosystems and reconnect people with waterways throughout Mundaring, Kalamunda, Gooseberry Hill, Pickering Brook, Glen Forrest, Darlington, Boya, Koongamia, Helena Valley, Bushmead, Bellevue, Midland, Hazelmere, Woodbridge and Guildford.

Joining a Friends Group

A Friends Group is a volunteer community group that works together with a specific local council to preserve, protect and manage their local natural area.

Friends Group members are like-minded volunteers who love their local environment and want to be part of conserving and protecting it. Friends Groups vary in size and are all registered with local councils.

Find out more about how to get involved with one of this catchment’s local Friends groups, by visiting the links below to your local council:

City of Kalamunda Friends Groups – learn more
Shire of Mundaring Friends Groups – learn more
City of Swan Friends Groups – learn more