Community-driven water stewardship on Country in western Cape York

• Masterclass co-designed with Custodians in Aurukun, in western Cape York
• APN Rangers applied their skills and collected water samples
• Analysis will support the Aurukun community to guide decisions on Country

The EnviroDNA Traditional Owner eDNA Training Program co-created with our Traditional Owner collaborations aims to empower First Nations communities by providing them with the tools, training, and authority needed to guide on-ground management.

We are delighted to have partnered with Indigital for the second season of the Caring for Country initiative, which is dedicated to engaging with communities through two-way learning experiences that build trust, relationships, and skills towards a collective vision.

Recently, our project managers, Josh Griffiths and Harry Coleman, joined Custodians in Aurukun, in western Cape York, for a co-designed Masterclass.

Community-led Masterclass

Our team flew up to Aurukun to introduce eDNA technology, which helps in identifying species traces in water, offering insights into the area's biodiversity.

This session was guided by community insights and focused on sharing knowledge with Wik Traditional Owners and community members, identifying valuable tools, and exploring how these skills can be applied directly on Country.

During this field trip, they were instructed on the sampling process, including techniques for collecting uncontaminated water samples, proper labelling, and preparation for analysis. The APN Rangers headed out on boats to apply their skills and collect water samples from sites.

EnviroDNA Program Manager, Harry Coleman shares:

“Blending these genetic tools (eDNA) with Indigenous science gives us a deeply meaningful way to bring culture into the sampling process. It’s not just about collecting data, it’s about seeing Country through both lenses at once. When today’s biodiversity data is woven together with more than 60,000 years of cultural knowledge, we get a much richer picture of what’s happening in our environments. That combination strengthens how we care for Country, honouring cultural authority while using the best of genetic science to protect the future.”

Guiding Decision-making on Country

The water samples have been returned to our EnviroDNA laboratories in Melbourne. The analysis will support the Aurukun community as they interpret what the results reveal about their waterways and use these insights to guide decisions on Country.

We thank the Indigital team for their collaboration and extend our gratitude to the Aurukun community for their leadership, wisdom, and generosity in imparting knowledge.

Partnering for Impact

The EnviroDNA Traditional Owner Program represents an innovation for First Nation-led environmental monitoring. Grounded in cultural governance, it aims to achieve long-term results and foster a two-way exchange between cultural knowledge systems and molecular scientific practices, all in the effort to care for Country, protect species, and ensure the well-being of future generations.

Program impact snapshot:

• 21,700 Square kilometres of land and sea surveyed
• 19 First Nations groups formally trained in EnviroDNA's Traditional Owner Program
• 25 Preservation projects completed across VIC, NSW, WA, NT & QLD
• 316 Species detected through EnviroDNA technology, including 275 native species and 41 introduced species

We are excited to continue our collaborations to achieve outcomes that help care for Country. If you have any questions, you can reach out to us directly at info@envirodna.com, or explore further details in our program guidebook here.

Learn more

• Read the full story from Indigital: Our Waters, Our Futures in Auruken

• Learn more about the program: Traditional Owner eDNA Training Program​​​​​​​