ABOUT US
Lulim, including Yowjabai, is a remote cultural and wilderness estate in the north west of Western Australia. According to current archaeological dating, for over 50,000 years it has been the traditional lands of the Arraluli and Yowjabaia peoples. Isobel Peters, Lulim Foundation founder, and her children, are the sole living direct descendants.
SUPPORT LULIM FOUNDATION
Nursery to the world's largest breeding herd of humpback whales. A sample of the planet's last pristine cultural wilderness
PURPOSE AND AIMS
Protecting pristine, uncultivated land and seas, home to wildlife that has been intertwined with the life force of Isobel's family for millennia
THE NEED FOR A FOUNDATION
Protecting a cultural wildnerness
Isobel Peters and her partner Peter Collins have spent 20 years working to protect the cultural and wilderness values of this area – which includes part of the last 4% of intact tropical marine ecosystem in the world.
It has one of the the earliest dated occupation sites of humans in Australia and includes a large repository of Palaeolithic and Neolithic rock art.
As activity increases in the area, so too does the risk to the cultural and wilderness values.
It is clear to Isobel and Peter that the current level of protection of these areas is not sufficient for the pressures that are upon them.
Engaged as a recognised Aboriginal Traditional Owner, Isobel is actively involved in those government and wider Aboriginal initiatives that seek to protect the values of Lulim.
But these initiatives have wider interests and opinions that, while generally supportive, do not deal directly with the concerns and needs of Lulim and Yowjabai.
Isobel with the assistance of Peter has worked as small family unit, using advocacy and means available to establish presence at decision making levels and in country, but this is no longer sufficient to generate the outcomes required for effective protection.
Lulim Foundation is designed to generate funds to drive the next level of protection needed for this important environmental and cultural part of the world.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Lulim Foundation seeks donations from the public to...
Increase its capacity to effectively advocate and enforce Isobel’s legal rights in the complex decision making process, ensuring her voice is not only heard, but her decisions over her rights are upheld and acted on.
Increase its capacity to have a family controlled presence in country looking after Isobel’s rights and interests including a program of visiting and monitoring cultural sites, reefs, islands and marine and terrestrial wildlife.
Lulim Foundations aims for the next 12-24 months are to raise funds for the purposes of:
Recruiting and paying expert and qualified staff to support Isobel and her children to be active in country, visiting and maintaining sites and providing condition reports.
Paying for appropriate administrative and legal services to ensure effective advocacy in the decision making process to protect cultural and wilderness values.
Purchasing, leasing and maintaining equipment and infrastructure to support in country activities.
Governance
In terms of governance, the Lulim Foundation promises transparency to its donors.
It will report regularly to donors on its activities in advocacy and in country.
It will report annually to its donors on expenditure of all funds raised by the foundation.
URGENT NEEDS
The objectives for cultural and wilderness maintenance urgently require approximately $300,000, the 12 month target amount
Recruitment of a qualified person with sufficient skills and integrity to work with the Peters family and run the Peters family operations in country including driving and maintaining small boats used for in country patrolling and monitoring. This is an estimated FTE position for at minimum 8 months of the year at a cost of $100,000.
Purchase and maintenance of equipment for operations in the next 12-24 months including fuel, technology and equipment $140,000
Legal advocacy fees $60,000
Why we need to do this now
Without an increase in presence in advocacy and in country there is a very real risk that cultural sites and environmental values will be diminished.
Already in 2020 this has been experienced. Earlier in the year there was a lack of presence in country, partly because Covid-19 halted the family’s small tourism business, which is currently the only funding of presence in country. In that time we have witnessed:
Increased trespass on land, reefs and islands.
Acts of vandalism including arson damaging habitat to some threatened and vulnerable species.
Damage to cultural sites from unauthorised access and vandalism.
With an active and ongoing presence in country, and better advocacy capacity, these events would not have occurred.