Project Team: Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation, Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation, First Nations community
First Nations people hold an ancient and continuing connection to the lands and waters of the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) region. Culture, knowledge, stories and lived experience carry deep understanding of Country and guide how land and waters are cared for.
Across our work, First Nations people lead, guide and participate in decisions about what happens on their lands and waters. Priorities are grounded in community knowledge and cultural responsibility, recognising that these perspectives shape how research, planning and on-ground actions are approached.
Projects are guided by First Nations communities, who identify what matters most, set directions for research, and take an active role in designing and delivering work. This strengthens cultural knowledge, supports self-determination, and ensures activities reflect ongoing responsibilities to care for Country.
We are continually learning from the communities we work with and adapting how we work together. Our processes are shaped to be embedded in community, supporting First Nations people to have ownership and control over projects, and to be involved in ways and at levels that reflect their priorities and preferences.
We work alongside the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation, Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation and the broader First Nations community to:
· identify knowledge gaps
· define community priorities
· design and carry out research
We also work with other organisations, including First Nations groups, landscape boards, local councils, researchers and the broader community where appropriate. These relationships support knowledge sharing and strengthen both cultural and contemporary approaches to caring for Country.
First Nations culture and traditions are rooted within an ancient historical connection with country and countless generations of studying their local environment as a way of life.
First Nations traditional ways of life, including land and water management, sustainable harvesting, and the conservation of local species can provide vital perspectives into the ways we manage the lands and waters into the future.
The research priorities of the First Nations people across the region reflect their deep spiritual connection to the land and waters in ways that may not be readily apparent to the broader audiences.
This project may work across various dimensions of restoration, connection, impact reduction, mitigation, and adaptation.
