๐๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ฉ๐ข ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ช ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ญ๐บ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ฑ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐จ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ (๐๐๐) ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ’๐ด ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฑ ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต๐ฉ. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ข๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ.
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The IDA Womenโs Leadership Trip to Perth was a valuable opportunity for Desert Women Rangers to come together, strengthen our leadership skills, share our experiences and learn from one another.
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The trip provided a supportive environment where women could connect, build confidence and recognise the important roles we play within the Desert Rangers Program and our communities.
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We were welcomed with a beautiful Welcome to Country by Noongar Elder Liz, which set a meaningful tone for the trip. It was a special opportunity to come together, acknowledge Country and connect with other Desert Women Rangers who share a passion for caring for Country and supporting our communities.
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Throughout the trip, we shared stories, experiences and ideas, learning from one another and offering encouragement and support. These conversations highlighted the strength, knowledge and leadership that women bring to the Rangers Program.
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During the trip, we participated in leadership workshops focused on developing our skills, building confidence and strengthening our ability to lead within our ranger teams.
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One of the outcomes was working together to develop a womenโs leadership session for the next IDA Conference, to be held in November 2026. This session will be delivered by Desert Women Leaders. This was a significant achievement, as it created an opportunity for desert women to take ownership of the session, share their knowledge and experiences, and lead the learning process themselves.
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IDA staff were very impressed with the leadership sessions this year, stating that this was the first time a leadership session had been prepared and would be presented by Desert Women Rangers. This recognition was a proud moment and demonstrated the growth, capability and leadership potential of the women involved.
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During the trip, I was given the opportunity to participate in an interview about what it is like to be part of the Desert Rangers Program and to share my personal experiences.
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Although I was very nervous, I was grateful that they saw potential in me and wanted to hear my story. The experience encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and recognise that my experiences, knowledge and perspective are worth sharing.
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It was a valuable reminder that leadership is not only about having the confidence to speak in front of others, but also about being willing to share your journey, represent your team and inspire others through your experiences.
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I walked away from the leadership trip with a newfound sense of purpose. There are many beautiful stories that I will carry with me, and the reassurance that I am on the right track.
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I am grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this experience. I have gained new ideas, knowledge and confidence that I can bring back to my team. I look forward to sharing what I have learnt, encouraging other women and continuing to contribute to the growth and development of our ranger program.
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Picture – Chantari Warren (centre) with fellow participants on the leadership trip.