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Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
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EDITORIAL
Contents Vol 52(5)

Indigenous and cross-cultural wildlife research in Australia: editorial

Jack Pascoe https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6061-3130 A * , Marlee Hutton B , Sarah Legge https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6968-2781 C D , Emilie Ens E , Hannah Cliff F and Stephen van Leeuwen G
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia.

B Kimberley Land Council, Broome, WA, Australia.

C Research Institute of Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0810, Australia.

D Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

E School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2019, Australia.

F Indigenous Desert Alliance, 587 Newcastle Street, West Perth, WA 6005, Australia.

G School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.

* Correspondence to: jack.pascoe@unimelb.edu.au

Handling Editor: Phil Stephens

Wildlife Research 52, WR25010 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR25010
Submitted: 23 January 2025  Accepted: 31 January 2025  Published: 16 May 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

This special collection of Wildlife Research focuses on the importance of Indigenous inclusion and leadership in the stewardship of Australian ecosystems. It highlights the urgent need for collaborations in conservation to address the declining health of our environment and the limitations of historical and current approaches to land management. The issue emphasises that Indigenous Australians hold unique, deep, spiritual and kinship connections to Country steeped in millennia of experience and experimentation, making their voices crucial in shaping the future of environmental management. The collection outlines three key themes. (1) Putting Country first: Indigenous priorities are central to wildlife research and management, prioritising culturally significant entities (CSEs) that hold immense cultural, symbolic, and spiritual value for Indigenous Australians. (2) Opportunities for researchers working on Country: collaboration with Indigenous Australians offers significant opportunities for researchers to learn from Indigenous deep knowledge of the land, enhance research effectiveness, and embrace a more holistic perspective of ecosystems. (3) Respect and reciprocity: successful partnerships with Indigenous Australians are based on respect for culture, cultural obligations to care for Country, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and community aspirations. This includes adhering to principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), safeguarding Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), and ensuring fair representation in authorship and benefit sharing. The issue emphasises the vital role that Indigenous knowledge and perspectives play in achieving sustainable and culturally appropriate solutions for managing Australia’s natural environment.

Keywords: biocultural conservation, culturally significant entities, free prior and informed consent, Indigenous cultural intellectual property, Indigenous Estate, Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous Rangers, Indigenous self-determination.

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