Conference
Program
Aligned with the 2026 Ramsar theme 'Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage', our conference unfolds in four dynamic half-day sessions: Wetlands & Country, Water & Community, Science & Stewardship and Practice & Partnerships.
These sessions bring together leading wetland scientists, managers, academics, and First Nations Custodians to showcase: Groundbreaking research, innovative management practices and inspiring case studies. Together, these stories and solutions shape a shared vision for wetland conservation and sustainability.
WETLANDS & COUNTRY
Day 1 | Morning
Thursday, 5th February 2025
WATER & COMMUNITY
Day 1 | Afternoon
Thursday, 5th February 2025
SCIENCE & STEWARDSHIP
Day 2 | Morning
Friday, 6th February 2025
PRACTICE & PARTNERSHIPS
Day 2 | Afternoon
Friday, 6th February 2025
WETLANDS & COUNTRY
Day 1 | Morning | Thursday, 5th February 2026
This session will explore forward-thinking approaches to bolstering wetland resilience in the face of emerging challenges. Anchored in innovation and adaptability, it will delve into strategies that address the dynamic complexities of wetlands in a changing climate.
Keynote
BoorYul-Bah-Bilya: Creating A New Model for River Catchment Management
Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association Incorporated (BNAA) is an Aboriginal-led charity located on Whadjuk-Noongar Boodja in the Perth Hills. We believe in bringing back the traditional ways of caring for country for the benefit of all who live on Noongar Boodja (Noongar Country). Our work is critical to restoring ecosystems and reinvigorating cultural heritage that has been degraded over time, allowing us to reconnect communities with rivers and each other through a shared love for country. Our activities are led from a Noongar perspective but designed so everyone can benefit from the knowledge and systems that have balanced these lands from the beginning.
The BoorYul-Bah-Bilya program, or BBB, is our collaborative and community-led program for healthy rivers. As part of the 2029 Perth bicentenary, we are using the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) to create a new model process that is transferable, scalable and applicable to the ongoing management of any river catchment.
Most Western Australian rivers and wetlands are degraded. Less than 1% of our major rivers are in pristine or near-pristine condition, and despite the good work of many, river and wetland health continues to decline. Due to our deep concern about declining river and wetland health, especially on Noongar Boodja, we launched the BBB program in 2024. BBB is the first program of its kind to consider environmental, social, cultural and economic values in one integrated plan, allowing a better balance between the many values of rivers. Our grassroots approach ensures local knowledge is embedded throughout and enables the whole community to participate.
Presentations 1
Supporting Wetland Biodiversity in a Drying Climate
Ramsar Lakes Are Salinizing and Others Are Getting Saltier: Identifying the Differences Can Inform Solutions
Presentations 2
A Place to Call Home: A New Sawfish Nursery Discovered in the Eastern Indian Ocean
In this study, we provide historical records of sawfishes captured by commercial fishers at Eighty Mile Beach, Western Australia, during the early 2000s, using rostra donated by members of the public. Donated rostra comprised 17 specimens, which represented all four sawfish species that occur in the Indo-West Pacific: the narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata) (n = 5), the dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata) (n = 6), the largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis) (n = 1) and the green sawfish (Pristis zijsron) (n = 5). Standard lengths of rostra suggested that one P. pristis and one P. zijsron were mature upon capture. Remaining specimens were estimated to have been taken from juveniles, including two A. cuspidata, two P. clavata and four P. zijsron that were estimated to be less than one year of age. The sizes of donated rostra, combined with historical catch data, suggests that the nearshore waters of Eighty Mile Beach, as well as adjacent Cape Keraudren and Port Smith, served as a nursery area for A. cuspidata, P. clavata and P. zijsron during the early 2000s. Considering Eighty Mile Beach has remained relatively undisturbed since 2003, it is possible that this site continues to function as a nursery for sawfish in the present day.
Resuscitating Fred Baldwin Lake, Kardinya.
Breathing life back into a freshwater lake in Kardinya on the Swan Coastal Plain has been, and still is, a challenge.
Like human organs, wetlands are just part of a multi-faceted functioning ecosystem. When one part fails, there is a counter reaction in another part, sometimes that fixes or repairs that problem and natural recovery can occur. However, if those failures are repeated, or in fact, multi-faceted, the system collapse’s and a major resuscitation/rebuild is needed.
In March of 2020, we all faced one of those human catastrophes. Life, as we knew it, tilted. We reacted and adapted to COVID. It was at this time, that I commenced resurrecting the health of Fred Baldwin Lake, in Kardinya.
What have we learned in 5 years, as we progress from resuscitation, towards gaining successful ecosystem function.
Key discussion points; Reconstruction of a mini “living stream filter system, Lake resuscitation POST major pollution event; Rapid Ecosystem recovery; Foreshore woody weed change over; Bird breeding recovery; Foreshore Revegetation supervised by resident Purple Swamp Hens.
Key learnings over my 30 years. Living Streams, wetland revegetation and the future of urban wetland restoration.
Presentations 3
Invasive Species Removal — Carp and Goldfish Control and Wetland Restoration (Project Overview)
20 Years Plus of Bird Monitoring at the Bunbury Big Swamp
Interested in possibly giving a story about voluntary bird monitoring which has been undertaken monthly for over 20 years at the Bunbury Big Swamp, to celebrate the huge commitment of a very small number of individuals and the trends they've identified over such a long monitoring period.
Presentations 4
Peatlands And Their Importance in Climate Change Mitigation
A peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually dead plant from vegetation, due to water-logging and subsequent anoxia. Peat reaches an approximate 10-20cm level of thickness.
Peatlands are wetlands that store vast amounts of carbon and play a crucial role in regulating the Earth’s climate and are therefore considered as the lungs of mother earth. They are also vital habitats for biodiversity, providing a home for unique species of both flaura and fauna.
Peatlands are crucial for water security, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity. Peatlands are also important carbon sinks, absorbing a large amount of carbon since they sequester more tha 30% of the atmospheric carbon.
By isolating carbon, peatlands help mitigate climate change by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. However, when peatlands are drained, degraded, or burned, they release this stored carbon, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and worsen global warming. Protecting and restoring peatlands is therefore crucial for achieving climate goals and maintaining a stable climate.
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is the main international convention focused on peatlands, along with the Global Peatlands Initiative. It provides a framework for national action and international cooperation to conserve and sustainably manage peatlands and other wetlands. The convention also plays a role in promoting the wise use of peatlands, which is relevant to the implementation of other international agreements like the UNFCCC and the CBD.
Agriculture, forestry and climate change are destroying the ecosystems of many peatlands. Globally, greenhouse gas emissions from drained peatlands accounts for around 5% of global emissions.
Mud Matters: Bugs, Birds, and the Power of Citizen Science
This study presents a community-driven initiative aimed at understanding the ecological drivers of shorebird habitat use in the Leschenault Estuary, a coastal wetland in Southwest Western Australia. Initiated by members of Leschenault Catchment Council and BirdLife Bunbury, the project focused on monitoring benthic macroinvertebrate populations as a representation of food availability for migratory and non-migratory shorebirds. Researchers from ECU and volunteers collaboratively designed a benthic invertebrate monitoring program, with community members actively contributing to site selection, field sampling, and laboratory analysis. The Leschenault Catchment Council, a local natural resource management group, led field operations and coordinated community engagement through public information sessions and volunteer training workshops, supported by the volunteer membership base of BirdLife Bunbury. Over the study period (2020–2025), benthic macroinvertebrate abundance, species richness and diversity was recorded across the Leschenault Estuary. Despite challenges — including limited resources, patchy funding and variability in sample processing accuracy — the project successfully empowered community members to engage in ecological research and contribute to the conservation of a valued regional wetland. This case study underscores the potential of community-led science, or “citizen science”, to generate meaningful ecological insights and foster stewardship of our wildlife in vulnerable habitats.
WATER & COMMUNITY
Day 1 | Afternoon | Thursday, 5th February 2026
Highlighting the transformative potential of collaboration, this session will examine how leadership, policy, and community action intersect to drive meaningful change. It will showcase the synergies required to build a sustainable future for wetlands.
Keynote
The Djarlgarro Beeliar Waterways Project
The Djarlgarro Bilya Project brought together fifteen Noongar Elders to share their lived experiences, stories and cultural knowledge of the Djarlgarro Bilya and other surrounding wetlands and waterways. The project has produced a co-authored book that will soon be available in book shelves. Altogether, the Elders' stories connect places throughout the metropolitan area and beyond, providing a new window to see afresh the place many of us call home. All authors are proud for seeing the project coming to fruition through an educational resource that will be available to the wider community and future generations.
Thomson Lake Water Level Diversion System
TBA
A Fresh Approach: Linking Soil, Water Cycles and Community Care for Resilient Wetlands
A 20-minute image-rich talk translating regenerative land management ideas for wetlands and backyards. Drawing on field days, soil conferences and community practice, the presentation links soil health, water cycles and biodiversity, emphasising pattern-based, relational approaches that work with natural processes rather than controlling them. It offers practical ways for communities to ‘join the dots’ and envision abundance, resilience and restoration in wetland landscapes.
Presentations 2
Lower Vasse River Sediment Removal Program
The City of Busselton is partnering with waterway management agencies to deliver a sediment removal program in the Lower Vasse River. The six-staged sediment removal program is located between the Busselton Bypass and Old Butter Factory Museum, at the heart of Busselton. The river experiences ongoing impacts from urban and agricultural intensification, where nutrients and sediments have accumulated over many decades. Despite a history of, environmental impacts, summer algal blooms, and amenity issues, the river supports significant social, cultural and ecosystem values. It provides habitat for many species, including the threatened Carter’s Freshwater mussel and Western Ringtail possum, and acts as a permanent freshwater refuge in a drying landscape that is dominated by ephemeral systems. Additionally, the river hosts Aboriginal heritage sites and flows into the Ramsar-listed Vasse Wonnerup Wetlands System. The program aims to remove nutrient-rich sediment to improve benthic habitat, amenity and reduce nutrient available for rerelease to the water column. The program has delivered two of the six-stages using a micro dredge and geotextile bag method. This method involved abstraction of sediment and resuspension into a slurry that is pumped into porous geotextile bags, where sediment is retained and dewater returned to the river. This method has delivered removal of substantial sediment loads, but has encountered several challenges, primarily the resuspension of accumulated nutrients into dewater from sediment slurry. Consequentially, stage 3 will trial a novel method using in situ dewatering and direct excavation.
Wetland Connectivity in the Swan Coastal Plain: A Spatial Approach to Conservation Under Climate Pressure
SCIENCE & STEWARDSHIP
Day 2 | Morning | Friday, 6th February 2026
This session will celebrate inspiring examples of conservation efforts that have turned obstacles into opportunities. By spotlighting achievements and lessons learned, it will provide a platform for shared experiences and enduring impacts in wetland restoration.
Keynote
Critically Endangered sawfish species in the rivers, wetlands, and estuaries of the Kimberley and Pilbara
Case Study
Wetland Flow Augmentation Design: A Case Study.
Since 2023 DBCA have been working with the Friends of Lake McLarty group to investigate options to divert drain water to Lake McLarty (Big Lake), which is part of the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar Site. Funded though the State NRM program, a detailed engineering investigation was undertaken, designs produced, and construction approvals and costs finalised. This presentation will explore the process involved with “working up” a project of this kind to the point where it is funding ready. On-ground works have also been carried out to enhance the lake’s drainage system so that it is ready for future flow supplementation.
Biodiversity Change in Wetlands Exposed to a Rapidly Drying Climate
Presentations 1
Enhancing Ecological Reporting in the Vasse & Wonnerup Wetlands: A new Macrophyte Index Approach
The Vasse-Wonnerup Wetland system is an internationally significant Ramsar site, under pressure from hydrological modifications and catchment development. It has therefore been the subject of focused management actions and monitoring. Aquatic plant communities, including submerged macrophytes, charophytes and macroalgae, have been monitored in this system since 2006. Macrophytes and charophytes are valuable indicators of ecological health due to their foundational role in ecosystem processes and their importance as habitat and resources for aquatic fauna, including waterbirds. Their loss is typically associated with poor water and sediment quality and a transition to dominance of macroalgae, reflecting an undesirable ecological state. Traditional biomass methods are time-consuming, costly, and provide limited insight into the spatial extent of plant growth, creating challenges for sustaining funding and delivering timely, meaningful reporting to management and the community. To overcome these challenges, we have adopted a percent volume inhabited (PVI) methodology that enables rapid data collection, and developed a Macrophyte Index to achieve clear reporting of ecological condition. This Index integrates two metrics: (1) the density of region-specific key macrophyte species, and (2) the proportion of macrophytes (including charophytes) relative to macroalgae. The Macrophyte Index is calculated from spring surveys when biomass and diversity peak, and provides assessment of aquatic vegetation condition at system and sub-region scales. Recent testing demonstrates alignment between index categories and observed conditions and has simplified ecological reporting, strengthening communication with managers and stakeholders.
The Importance of Saltmarsh Rehabilitation in Climate Change Mitigation
Saltmarshes are currently recognised as globally important and priority ecosystems due to their critical role as blue carbon sinks.These ecosystems can store up to four times more carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests and do it at a higher rate than tropical forests. However, this can only occur if they are protected and restored. When these habitats are degraded, an enormous amount of carbon can be emitted back into the atmosphere.
SERCUL is currently continuing saltmarsh research and conservation to reduce knowledge gaps, learn rehabilitation techniques, and help mitigate climate change by increasing carbon sequestration services of saltmarshes in the Canning region.
Presentations 2
Polyphagous Shot-Hole Borer – Identifying, Managing and Understanding the Pest in WA
Do Urban Wetlands Support Invasive Rather Than Native Crayfish?
As urbanisation increases pressure on biodiversity, there is growing need to conserve biodiversity outside protected areas, including artificial ecosystems, such as artificial wetlands. However, artificial ecosystems may also provide a preferred habitat for invasive species, limiting their conservation value. Urban wetlands in Perth may contain three native species of freshwater crayfish: gilgies (Cherax quinquecarinatus), koonacs (Cherax preissii) or smooth marron (Cherax cainii). The invasive yabby (Cherax destructor) is native to south-eastern Australia, but has been introduced into W.A. for aquaculture and as an aquarium species. I sampled a mix of natural and artificial wetlands in Perth to (1) identify habitat characteristics associated with the presence/absence of native or exotic crayfish; (2) compare distribution and habitat use by native versus invasive crayfish between natural and artificial urban wetlands. Fifty-three wetlands (30 anthropogenic, 23 natural) were sampled for crayfish using baited box traps and sweep nets and habitat characteristics were recorded. Crayfish presence was most strongly associated with water regime and wetland type (artificial vs natural) but they were absent from 55% (29) of wetlands. Yabbies tended to be found in easily accessible artificial wetlands, while native crayfish were often found in natural wetlands that were more difficult to access. Overall, this study showed limited evidence that yabbies are pushing native crayfish out of natural wetlands, but they may be competing with native crayfish in artificial wetlands. Distribution patterns and anecdotal evidence both suggest that humans are moving invasive crayfish between wetlands, and public awareness should be increased to limit further introductions.
Presentations 3
Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity in Densely Populated Areas: Wetland Restoration Studies from Germany
SERAG′s Positive Impact on the Sustainability of the Derbal Yerrigan
Today, the Swan River Estuary’s foreshore looks very different from what it looked like when Europeans first arrived. Urban development, industry, agriculture, and land reclamation have all influenced and changed the estuary. There is also continuing pressure on the estuary from community activities in and around the river. For 15 years, SERAG (Swan Estuary Reserves Action Group) has been actively involved in the rehabilitation of the foreshore in three areas of the Swan River Estuary - Milyu in South Perth, Alfred Cove in Melville and Pelican Point in Crawley – through the work of its volunteers, working closely with State and Local Government. Many areas of the estuary are very significant to the Noongar people, for example, Alfred Cove (Marradungup) was a meeting place and camping ground. The area was rich in food sources, including fish, waterfowl, shellfish, vegetable roots and bulbs. Some areas have become severely degraded, impacting on the natural communities that previously thrived there. The work of SERAG has gone a long way to restoring the areas where it works to support the fauna and flora so valued by Noongar people. The focus of SERAG’s work has been to restore the health of the riparian zone and fringing woodlands through the removal of weedy plant species and monocultures, and the re-establishment of plant species that support river health. For example, SERAG’s believes that its activities have led to reduced algal blooms by stripping out nutrients flowing into the river from adjoining land and have supported seagrass growth by reducing sediment flows into the river. In addition to the work that SERAG does on the foreshore, it is also active in influencing and liaising with decision makers at a State and Local level, as well as with other community groups representing users of the river.
PRACTICE & PARTNERSHIPS
Day 2 | Afternoon | Friday, 6th February 2026
Along with presentations, this session will include workshops focused on practical tools and innovative strategies. It will underscore the importance of translating ideas into impactful solutions, empowering participants to contribute effectively to wetland sustainability.
Keynote
Wetland Cultures: Aboriginal, Colonial, Postcolonial
Wetlands have had a precarious place in Australia since European invasion and colonisation with the majority of them having been abused, drained, filled, embanked, or impounded for the establishment of sheep ‘runs’ and cattle stations, farms for growing introduced grains and grasses, market gardens for growing vegetables, and colonial settlements that later grew into cities. By contrast, wetlands are important places and play a vital role in the lives and for the livelihoods of Aboriginal peoples in Australia and have done so for tens of thousands of years. These roles are spiritual, symbolic, material, and physical, including using the instruments of ‘digging sticks’ for the cultivation of plants in wetlands for human and animal consumption, or paludiculture for short. I use the term paludiculture to refer to the cultivation of plants for animal and human use and consumption in all types of wetlands, including bogs, lagoons, marshes and swamps. I define paludiculture as the cultivation of local, native (endemic) plants in wetlands for animal and human use and consumption, including eating and heating. Paludiculture is wetland farming. Wetland cultures include paludiculture. Aboriginal peoples’ attitudes, values, actions and behaviours towards Australian wetlands are major, crucial and vital points of cultural difference between them and those of the European invaders and colonisers that still persist today, including in the perception of Aboriginal peoples as exclusively hunters and gatherers. The differences are stark between colonial denigration and destruction of wetlands, or their aestheticisation and embankment, and Aboriginal wetland cultivation and culture.
Poster Presentations
Collaboration Sessions
Bindjareb Djilba Kaadadjan Bidi Yarning Circle & Stronger Together
Bindjareb Noongar Elders and young leaders from Mandurah, Serpentine, Pinjarra, Waroona, and Harvey are coming together for the Bindjareb Djilba Kaadadjan Bidi Yarning Circle to lead the Bindjareb Djilba Protection Plan. The Yarning Circle brings Bindjareb people together, just as their ancestors did – strong and united – to care for the deep interconnectedness between Wirrin (Spirit), Boodja (Country), and Baalap (People). Healthy Estuaries WA and the Bindjareb Djilba Protection Plan walk alongside the Yarning Circle in the “Bring Together, Walk Together” journey, putting culture first and listening to Bindjareb-led solutions for protecting waterways. In partnership with Winjan Aboriginal Corporation, Harvey Aboriginal Corporation, and Waroona Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation, the Yarning Circle is achieving strong outcomes, including:
• Strengthening organisational governance of partner Aboriginal organisations;
• Supporting Winjan’s land access and management aspirations of Keralup Waangaamaap Bilya (Serpentine River);
• On-country cultural mapping and designing the Bindjareb Waterways Assessment Program for two-way knowledge sharing;
• Creating the Bindjareb Kaadadjan Mia digital mapping tool to preserve cultural knowledge and guide waterway planning.
With support from Healthy Estuaries WA and the Bindjareb Djilba Protection Plan, the Yarning Circle continues to walk with partners to implement their Cultural Health Blueprint and Roadmap for a strong future.
Freshwater Turtles in Focus: Behaviour, Decline, and Ecology for Collaborative Restoration and Community Conservation
Explore how fine-scale behaviour, seasonal activity, and population visibility shape our understanding of freshwater turtle resilience.
Learn how ecological knowledge, community monitoring, and collaborative restoration are vital for protecting turtles and the wetlands they sustain.
Winter Lovin'? Sex and Season Influences Daily Activity Patterns in a Freshwater Turtle
Understanding seasonal shifts in activity patterns is critical in understanding how a species may fair when faced with significant changes to their environment, such as what is predicted under anthropogenic climate change. For the southwestern snake-necked turtle (Chelodina oblonga), we lack important information on their fine scale ecology, specifically how their activity shifts with season and between sexes. This means that conservation efforts for this near-threatened, endemic West Australian species is hamstrung. In order to ensure future management plans and research for this species has a robust and reliable baseline for comparison, we aimed to explore how the species' activity patterns shift between seasons and sexes. To do this, a mixture of male, female and gravid (egg-carrying) female turtles were tagged with accelerometer biologgers and VHF tags in order to record continuous activity, movement and environmental variables. As this species is endemic to the southwest, we utilised the Noongar 6-seasonal calendar instead of the European 4-season calendar. New turtles were tagged every 2 months and tracked for ~1 month before tags were recovered. The data collected over a year of tagging these turtles shows unexpected activity patterns and sex differences, and highlights the need for this type of fine-scale ecological data in regards to understanding the nuances in species' behaviour and activity patterns.
Now you see them, now you don′t? Freshwater turtles in lower Murray South Australia
Turtles are culturally significant and play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. In the Murray Darling Basins turbid waters, there are concerns turtle numbers could be steadily declining. Research by Chessman 2011, has estimated a staggering loss of ~91% of long neck turtles and ~69% of Murray River short neck turtles in Vicotria since the 1980s. Turtle experts suspect greater losses may be occurring in the Lower Murray region South Australia, though the scale of this is unconfirmed due to a critical lack of data. Monitoring of turtles and other species is often prioritised when information is available to evidence declines. When species are listed as data deficient, such as SA Turtle species, the lack of evidence (data) reduces the resources allocated to monitoring and conservation interventions to support data collection and protection of these populations. This project aimed to investigate turtles in selected wetlands, gain an understanding of species presence, identify threats and nesting hotspots. The information collected in this project will be shared and included in a statewide effort to conserve and protect Australian native freshwater turtles and their habitats.
Why Turtles Totally Matter: Turtle Conservation and Ecological Health
The southwestern snake necked turtle, Chelodina oblonga is endemic to the south west of WA. Once a common sight in the metropolitan area, many people are now unaware of its presence in our wetlands due to a dramatic decrease in the turtle population.
For over 5 years local citizen scientists have been monitoring the movements of nesting and migrating turtles in an effort to protect adult turtles from vehicle strikes and predators and increase the survival rate of hatchlings from nests. While thousands of hours of volunteer time have been recorded in this effort, this alone is not enough to prevent further decline in our turtle populations.
The presence of turtles is an indicator of wetland health as they are ecologically important as a keystone species, playing an essential role in nutrient recycling and improving water quality. They help maintain the health of the aquatic environment by eating carrion and controlling pest species.
However, turtles can play an even greater role in long term wetland health by being ambassadors for their habitat. As the citizen scientists traverse the shores of our lakes and patrol slowly around the surrounding roads, we are educating the community and raising awareness to the plight of our turtles.
This presentation will outline the threats facing our turtles, what we are doing about them and what needs to be done in the near future.
Collaboration Sessions
Creative Ecologies: Art, Story, and Embodied Practice for Collaborative Restoration and Community Conservation
Explore how relational design, creative practice, and sensory engagement deepen our connection to wetlands and the wildlife they sustain.
Through Indigenous-informed approaches, art–science collaboration, and embodied writing, this session inspires community care and regenerative, place-based conservation.
Stories of Clay: Situating Relational Design Pedagogy to Care for Wetlands with Noongar Country
Wetland health and resilience depend on cultivating relationships of care and reciprocity between humans and environments. Yet current secondary design education in Western Australia fails to develop relational capacities that foster care for wetland ecosystems. This presentation emerges from creative research with Noongar Country and demonstrates relational approaches for wetland engagement in education through situated Clay practice. Recognising that Indigenous cultures have conceptualised the world in relational ways for a very long time (Escobar, 2018; Mignolo, 2011) and that First Nations peoples continue to face systematic oppression under settler colonialism (Rijavec, 2024; Ryan et al., 2024; Yunkaporta, 2023), this work respectfully engages with Indigenous knowledge systems. This presentation focuses specifically on one situating practice - following material sources - and traces a Story of Clay that reveals ancient geological formations, complex colonial histories, environmental concerns, and Indigenous beliefs that can inform relational design pedagogy. Situated in Boorloo (Perth), Western Australia, where water scarcity is an increasing concern (McFarlane et al., 2025), an iterative design process is applied to sculpt Clay vessels by hand, for improving water retention in soils. Clay bodies respond and change according to moisture conditions and reveal soil-water relationships fundamental to wetland function, while fostering care for local places as interconnected communities. This approach demonstrates how decolonial situating practices can transform design education, enabling young people to sense a changing climate and design for regenerative futures that honour Indigenous wisdom and wetland relationships.
Delicate Life: Sculpting the Essence of Endangered Wildlife
This presentation explores a collaborative approach to fostering deeper community engagement with the natural world and conservation, focusing on the endangered Red-tail Cockatoo. By bringing together arts and science, we aim to create visually striking works that inspire public interest and care for vulnerable local species. The current partnership with Murdoch University allows us to blend scientific rigour with creative practice, using innovative techniques such as vascular corrosion casting – a process that transforms the heart and vasculature of Red-tail Cockatoos that have died from vehicle-collisions – into intricate resin sculptures.
These delicate arterial sculptures, alongside pieces crafted through lost-wax casting and electroforming, serve as evocative reminders of the fragility and beauty of native wildlife; heart and blood are centred on the vibrant essence of life, in contrast to representations of bones that symbolise mortality, to evoke a sense of care and emotional engagement from viewers.
This method, previously used successfully on sea snakes at the Minderoo Exmouth Research Centre and a ghost shark at La Trobe's Neuro-Ecology Lab, has proven effective in engaging audiences. The resulting pieces have been displayed at major exhibitions in galleries and museums, including IOTA24, Boola Bardip and Scitech, drawing significant public attention. Our ongoing collaboration with the Murdoch School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences continues to push the boundaries of both scientific and artistic practice, ensuring our work remains ethically sound, safe, and impactful.
Through these efforts, we hope to inspire a greater appreciation for conservation and the unique biodiversity of our region.
Proof, not Poetry
This presentation shares a practical case study in designing community engagement that holds attention long enough to produce repeat participation and real stewardship follow-through. It examines why standard outreach often over-samples the already-engaged, struggles to retain “quiet stakeholders”, and fails to convert awareness into action. The case study outlines an on-ground engagement model built around repeated place-based contact, structured facilitation, and social design, supported by clear tracking. The focus is mechanisms, outcomes, and what can be replicated or adapted by wetlands managers, scientists, and program teams looking for engagement approaches that are measurable, scalable, and grounded in practice.
Propagation for Biodiversity: native plant propagation
Join The Wetlands Centre's Conservation Nursery experts to uncover the art of propagating species which are not frequently grown, but are essential for biodiverse restoration and rewilding. Led by a passionate team of conservationists, horticulturalists, botanists and volunteers, the nursery is a space for biodiversity, annually cultivating thousands of plants for gardens, revegetation, and wetlands. In this session, you will discover some secrets of propagating and nurturing native Western Australian plants using locally sourced materials, as well as the methods of propagation of some local plant families.
This hands on workshop is for those with prior propagation experience. Some advanced techniques will be demonstrated.