Project Description
Grassland Resurrection – Connecting Knowledge, Research & Management Forum
8 May, 2026. Fitzroy Town Hall, Melbourne, Victoria
Eddie Mullins & Kristian Verden, Narrap Rangers, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation
The Narrap Unit is the Caring for Country team of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (WWCHAC), grown from a small crew in 2012 to a workforce of around 30 rangers across connected Ranger and Water programs. Guided by principles that place Traditional Owners as decision-makers on Country, Narrap delivers self-determined land management across Wurundjeri country, supported by a two-year traineeship pathway in conservation and land management.
In October 2024, WWCHAC was appointed Committee of Management for a portfolio of land parcels under the Melbourne Strategic Assessment — a multi-year partnership with DEECA spanning seven Conservation Areas, with more to come. This presentation focuses on two of those grasslands: Mirrm boolok (110 ha, Wollert), Wurundjeri’s largest site, which combines plains grassland, stony knolls and ephemeral wetlands of high cultural and ecological value; and Kororoit Creek North Grassland, a 13-hectare Themeda-dominated Natural Temperate Grassland supporting threatened species including the Striped Legless Lizard, Pimelea spinescens and Senecio macrocarpus.
We share how we work — from the formal process by which sites are named in partnership with Wurundjeri Elders, to the partnerships with Parks Victoria, DEECA, Zoos Victoria, ARI and others that underpin delivery. Across both sites, ecological and cultural goals are intrinsically linked: returning Wiin (fire) to Country, restoring water to ephemeral wetlands(planning), controlling threats, with the aim of building resilient, functional landscapes that sustain Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people, plants and animals for generations to come.
Questions from the Forum
To the Wurundjeri team – For the Poa dominated areas where burning results in a flush of weeds, what is the longer term plan? How will that cycle be improved?
Eddie and Christian – have you found that spraying weeds in amongst Poa tussock has led to accidental poa death? I remember it being super sensitive to round up, wondering if you had any work arounds…alternative herbicides, prep by hand etc
We seasonally use weed burners, hand weeding and haven’t found healthy Poa to be too susceptible at this stage. We are working on a large scale as well and overall health is important across a large context.
Does the Narrap nursery have a Seed Production Area?
We have some small production areas and its an area we want to establish larger viable populations for harvest and seed production.
Is it possible to control how much the kangaroos graze? It must be hard to get forbs established if there is too much grazing pressure?
Yes it is – with exclusion/temp style fencing. Baseline metrics would inform this and there is a lot of work in Victoria and Canberra around kangaroo grazing, impacts and management
Offsets, are generally crap and underwhelming…. How do you mitigate the shitness of offsets ?
Good Caring for Country principals and solid NRM practices and being realistic about what is achievable. The Melbourne Strategic Assessment program includes funding to protect and improve the offset bits. Long term good planning and landscape scale offsets would be ideal if needed at all.
