Australia has established two globally significant conservation reserves on indigenous lands in the Northern Territory.

Spanning nearly 1.4 million hectares on the Arnhem Land Plateau, Warddeken Indigenous protected area adjacent to the Kakadu National Park was declared Sept. 24.

A day later, hundreds gathered at Rocky Point on Boucaut Bay about 310 miles east of Darwin to mark the declaration of the Djelk Indigenous Protected Area. Many elders are reported to have shed tears as Environmental Minister Peter Garrett, former front man of the band Midnight Oil, signed the formal declaration. The Djelk Indigenous Protected Area spans from the Arafura Sea to the central Arnhem Land Plateau.

To learn more about this conservation milestone read the Sydney Morning Herald article.