Dr Jennifer Lavers is an Indigenous scientist and seabirds and plastic pollution expert, working as a Healthy Country Plan Coordinator for the Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (ETNTAC) and as the coordinator of Adrift Lab.

Jennell Reynolds is a community engagement officer and previous Tjaltjraak Ranger, also with ETNTAC. Kepa Kurl Wudjari Peoples' ancestral lands span over 30,000 square kilometres of Southern Western Australia, encompassing Esperance and beyond. Kepa Kurl Wudjari people are descended from seven apical ancestors, of which Jennell is recognised as a direct descendant, having the rights and responsibility for the practice of Wudjari Nyungar culture and for passing it on to future generations.

Here we learn about the critical work of ETNTAC and how they preserve culture and care for country in this modern age of science and technology. Australia’s First Nations people are the original scientists, land managers, engineers, ecologists and so much more, drawing on 50,000 years’ worth of knowledge. In the face of our current climate and environmental emergencies, we learn the importance of respecting and honouring the past in guiding us towards a better future.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Jenn’s background and work with Adrift Lab and the Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (ETNTAC)
• Jennell’s work with ETNTAC as a community engagement officer and ranger
• Importance and purpose of Registered Native Title Bodies Corporations (RNTBCs)
• Cultural history, significance, and unique beauty of Esperance area/Wudjari Nyungar country
• Honouring 50,000 years’ worth of Indigenous knowledge and science
• How ETNTAC blends modern technology and research with knowledge from Australia’s first scientists
• The pros and cons of technology for preserving culture
• The need for long-lasting relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations within science, industry and governments
• ETNTAC’s statement regarding the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021
• What we can all learn from 50,000 years of caring for country
• Reconnection to place and country – when we belong to something we take care of it.

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