What Do Feral Pigs, Lantana and Reconciliation Have in Common?

This week on Mabo Day, I had the privilege of speaking at the launch of a Reconciliation Action Plan: a first for the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS). Over the past year, I’ve served as a member of its Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group, helping guide the RAP from its earliest stages through to endorsement by Reconciliation Australia and launch.

That experience gave me a front-row seat to an interesting question. What do invasive species management and Reconciliation have in common? At first glance, they might seem like strange bedfellows. One’s about weeds, feral animals and biosecurity. The other’s about relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.

But the more I’ve worked in both fields, the more I'm convinced that they're deeply connected. The reason is simple. Country.

Aboriginal seasonal calendars aren’t based on dates on a page. They’re based on relationships. Relationships with birds, animals, insects, waterways, flowering plants, winds and weather patterns. They’re living systems of ecological knowledge built up through careful observation over thousands upon thousands of years.

When invasive species arrive, they don't simply reduce biodiversity. They disrupt these relationships. Feral pigs damage wetlands and sacred places. Cats and foxes prey on native animals that feature in stories, songs and seasonal indicators. Weeds like lantana transform landscapes and crowd out native species. Invasive species alter waterways, ecosystems and habitats that have been cared for by Aboriginal peoples for millennia.

And when invasives damage Country, they also damage culture. That’s why I was so pleased to see the new CISS RAP explicitly recognise that invasive species management can’t be separated from caring for Country and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, perspectives and leadership should be embedded in its work.

Importantly, this isn't about replacing western science. It’s about making science stronger. For too long, Australia has often treated Aboriginal ecological knowledge as something interesting to acknowledge at the start of a meeting and then ignore when decisions are made. That approach makes no sense. If a group of peoples have been observing landscapes, species interactions, fire, water and seasonal change continuously for more than 60,000 years, surely we should be listening. Not out of charity. Not out of political correctness. But because it helps us do a better job.

One of my favourite parts of the CISS RAP is not actually a commitment. It’s the artwork and story behind it. The artwork by Juunjuwarra Elder Nana Norma Jacko comes directly from a partnership between CISS, the Juunjuwarra Rangers and the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance in Cape York. The project focuses on managing feral pigs damaging wetlands, ecosystems and culturally significant places. Traditional knowledge and modern technologies such as GPS tracking are being used together to protect Country.

This is what Reconciliation can look like at its best. Not symbolism. Partnership. Not consultation. Collaboration. Not one-way knowledge transfer. Two-way learning.

I’ve worked on many RAPs over the years. Some become glossy documents that sit on a shelf. But what also impresses me about this one is that many of the relationships and activities are already underway. Staff have undertaken cultural awareness training. The organisation is recognising National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week. It’s working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ranger groups and actively exploring ways to bring Aboriginal perspectives into its work.

The RAP doesn’t create these relationships. It strengthens them. And perhaps that's the most important lesson. Reconciliation isn't separate from core business. For organisations involved in land management, conservation, climate adaptation, biodiversity protection and biosecurity, Reconciliation should be part of core business. Because caring for Country without Aboriginal people is incomplete. And because Australia can make better decisions when we combine the strengths of mainstream science with the oldest continuing ecological knowledge systems on Earth. That's good for Country. Good for culture. And ultimately, good for all Aussies.