Listening to Country through technology and education
Over the last few months, our staff at Winyama have been very busy attending an array of events across Australia. Our staff travelled to the Northern Territory, Queensland, and even across our own backyard here in Western Australia.
These events posed a significant impact on us as individuals but also as a company. These events saw our staff attending the Biodiversity Conference in Perth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance (ATSIMA) in Yirrkala, North East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, and the Indigenous Australian Datathon in Cairns, Queensland.
In this blog we want to give you an overview of all the exciting happenings; read more about the impacts we're contributing to across Australia!
The Biodiversity Conference 2023
From the 10th to the 12th of October team members from Winyama, Senior GIS Consultant Danielle Whiteley, and Stream and Project Lead Joel D’Antoine attended the Biodiversity Conference. The theme for 2023 focused on “Listen to Country” and was held at the University of Western Australia.
The Biodiversity Conference 2023 brought together subject matter experts, scientists, conservationists, and stakeholders from around Australia to discuss the critical issues surrounding biodiversity preservation and showcase their contribution to understanding the land. With its strong focus on Western Australia, this event promises that the synergistic benefits will come from collective forward thinking.
It was jointly supported and run by all five Western Australian Universities, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions, the WA Biodiversity Science Institute, and the WA Marine Science Institute.
The Biodiversity Conference 2023 key themes included:
Biodiversity Conservation: The conference emphasised the importance of preserving Western Australia’s rich biodiversity. Discussions covered strategies for protecting endangered species, conserving ecosystems, and restoring habitats.
Climate Change and Biodiversity: The intersection between climate change and biodiversity loss was a prominent theme. Participants explored how climate change impacts ecosystems and how biodiversity conservation can mitigate the effects of global warming.
Sustainable Development: Delegates examined the link between biodiversity and sustainable development, emphasising the need for responsible practices in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries to ensure long-term prosperity.
Indigenous Knowledge: Indigenous communities played a vital role in discussions. Their traditional knowledge of nature and sustainable practices was recognized as a valuable resource for biodiversity conservation.
Technological Innovations: Advancements in technology, such as AI, drones, and data analytics, were showcased for their potential to monitor and protect biodiversity more effectively.
There were many highlights throughout the conference, but the top three would be sitting in on a range of keynote addresses such as having renowned experts deliver keynote speeches on the conference's central themes, offering insights and solutions for addressing biodiversity challenges.
Another highlight would be centred around networking and sitting in on panel discussions. The panels covered topics like marine conservation, reforestation initiatives, wildlife protection, and sustainable agriculture. Delegates had the chance to connect with like-minded individuals and organisations to collaborate on opportunities for future biodiversity projects.
My final highlight would have been the exhibition hall which showcased services, technologies, and initiatives related to biodiversity preservation, providing a hands-on look at innovative solutions.
The Biodiversity Conference 2023 resulted in:
Agreements on collaborative projects and initiatives between governments, NGOs, and private sector partners.
Increased awareness about the critical importance of biodiversity for a balanced and resilient planet.
A roadmap for future conferences and action plans to address biodiversity challenges.
The Biodiversity Conference 2023 was a step in the right direction to achieving a more sustainable and biodiverse planet, highlighting the shared responsibility of individuals, communities, and First Nations representatives in preserving the Earth's natural heritage.
Indigenous Australian Datathon
From the 3rd to the 5th of November team members from Winyama, Stream and Project Lead - Cloud Specialisation, Kat Stapley-Oh, and Graduate IT Consultant, Jaden Dzubiel, headed off to Cairns to take part in the Indigenous Australian Datathon. This event offered Kat and Jaden the opportunity to join a diverse range of IT industry technologists, academics, policymakers, and traditional owners to collaborate on technology solutions aimed at addressing real-world problems for Indigenous communities in Queensland.
The Indigenous Australian Datathon 2023 edition was held in Cairns at the JCU Ideas Lab. Being a part of such an immersive event was an eye-opening and rewarding experience that provided insight into the challenges and broader community issues of Indigenous ranger groups. The format provided a forum for teams to discuss and innovate on how to apply technology and AI to build possible solutions that address specific problems. Topics this year ranged from the management of fauna to erosion control, and health and emergency services.
Congratulations to Jaden who not only contributed a well delivered presentation about the community work we do at Winyama, but also for being a member of the winning team that proposed an innovative drone rescue solution to address the issue of frequent boating incidents in the Torres Strait. Their automatically triggered, immediate response drone deployment solution was aptly titled ‘Drones Torrescue Strait Away'.
2023 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance (ATSIMA) in Yirrkala, North East Arnhem Land, NT
From the 8th to the 12th of October our Program Manager, Kass Boladares travelled to Yirrkala, Northern Territory to present at the 2023 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance (ATSIMA) conference.
The ATSIMA conference was a very productive and informative event with plenty of networking, cultural connection, and positive outcomes. These outcomes were shown through the presentations on the application of STEM in remote and Indigenous communities, two-way learning, and culturally appropriate education. Presentations concluded with brainstorming sessions and workshops, cultural activities such as bush tucker, musical performances, and native bush walks with the local school children, the conference concluded with a planning session based on key ideas from the brainstorming sessions.
“Opportunities like ATSIMA are essential in understanding culturally safe and relevant education for Indigenous communities. I've walked away with new concepts, insightful perspectives and fresh eyes after being on Country that I'll bring back to our Community, just as I'm sure everyone who attended did also.” - Kass Boladeras
To read more about the conference click here
About IMW Australia’s Regional Workshop Program
IMW Australia’s regional Indigenous Mapping Workshop program provides opportunities for Indigenous organisations to host our team and train their staff on technical mapping software that their organisation may not have previously had the chance to upskill their employees in.
Each year along with our National IMW, IMW Australia can provide four in-person workshops in any State across Australia. This includes forums, conferences or events that wish to host us.
If you are interested in hosting a regional Indigenous Mapping Workshop Australia click the link below to get in contact, we’d love to hear from you!
What’s next? Members of our team are off, but to where? Watch this space to see where they have travelled to!