Southern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area

{{Short description|Protected area in Northern Territory, Australia}}

File:Tanami_Desert_Panorama.jpg

The Southern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) is Walpiri-managed region of the Tanami Desert in Central Australia. At 101,600 km², it is Australia's largest IPA.{{Cite web |title=Southern Tanami IPA and Warlpiri Rangers {{!}} NIAA |url=https://www.niaa.gov.au/our-work/environment-and-land/indigenous-land-and-sea-management-projects/southern-tanami-ipa-and |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=www.niaa.gov.au}}

IPAs are areas of land and sea Country managed by First Nations groups for biodiversity conservation and cultural outcomes through voluntary agreements with the Australian Government. These areas form part of Australia's National Reserve System.{{Cite web |title=Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA) {{!}} NIAA |url=https://www.niaa.gov.au/our-work/environment-and-land/indigenous-protected-areas-ipa |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=www.niaa.gov.au}}

Dedicated in July 2012, the area has significant cultural and natural value.{{Cite news |last=Brain |first=Caddie |date=2012-07-11 |title=Australia's biggest protected area declared |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2012-07-11/australias-biggest-protected-area-declared/6161038 |access-date=2024-09-16 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} It is managed by the Warlpiri Rangers, of the Central Land Council's ranger groups combining Yapa (Aboriginal) and Kardiya (non-Aboriginal) knowledges.{{Cite web |title=Warlpiri Rangers |url=https://www.clc.org.au/warlpiri-rangers/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Central Land Council |language=en-AU}}

The Southern Tanami IPA includes the Reynolds and Truer ranges, as well as sand dunes and salt pans. It has large areas of spinifex hummock grassland with a flowering shrub overstorey.{{Cite web |title=Tanami bioregion |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/resources/a8015c25-4aa2-4833-ad9c-e98d09e2ab52/files/bioregion-tanami.pdf |website=Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |publisher=Australian Government}} This provides habitat to threatened species such as the walpajirri (bilby), warrarna (great desert skink) and jajina (brush-tailed mulgara).{{Cite AV media |url=https://ictv.com.au/video/item/12645 |title=Reading the Country - Jajina (Brush-tailed Mulgara) |language=en-gb |access-date=2024-09-19 |via=ictv.com.au}}{{Cite web |date=16 August 2024 |title=Ancient knowledge restoring a rare reptile |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/about/news/digital-stories/ancient-knowledge-restoring-rare-reptile |website=Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |publisher=Australian Government}}{{Cite web |title=Southern Tanami IPA digital storybook |url=https://walyaku.org.au/#/fl/13 |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=walyaku.org.au}}