Environs Kimberley or EK is the Kimberley’s peak environmental NGO. We were set up in 1996, to support Traditional Owners in protecting the Kimberley from the damming of the Fitzroy River and large-scale land clearing to grow cotton. We continue to work for the strong protection and better management of Kimberley lands and waters. We are dedicated to the protection and management of this special part of the world.
EK scientists and other staff work at the local level with communities, landholders and land managers, especially Aboriginal traditional owners and their ranger groups, to tackle problems that concern them, such as wildfire, weeds and feral animals, and to protect local plants and animals, and their habitats. We do this through scientific research, monitoring, community-based planning and management.
We provide a strong regional voice on environmental matters especially to government and industry. We advocate for the preservation of the Kimberley’s natural assets. We assess and respond to big plans and proposals from Perth and Canberra (about future development in northern Australia or how water will be managed in WA, for example), often in partnership with other regional organisations, and we share this information widely with people and organisations in the Kimberley and beyond. Through this and our on-ground work, EK has built strong links with government and industry and with national, state, regional and local environment organizations. Kimberley country is inseparable from the Aboriginal people to whom it belongs and this guides all of our activities. We support responsible development that is locally based and compatible with the special qualities and values of this region.