Australia is facing unprecedented environmental pressures—devastating wildfires, floods, storms, and prolonged droughts—that are intensifying due to climate change. These events are worsened by land management practices that have altered landscapes, cleared remnant vegetation, and sidelined cultural methods of caring for Country.
At Conservation Futures, we recognize that true resilience starts with safeguarding Indigenous knowledge and data. For generations, cultural and ecological information has been extracted, misused, or lost, leaving communities without control over their own stories and resources. We’re here to change that—by building secure, community-led digital systems that keep data grounded On Country, guided by community, and governed by the people it belongs to.
Australia is facing unprecedented environmental pressures—devastating wildfires, floods, storms, and prolonged droughts—that are intensifying due to climate change. These events are worsened by land management practices that have altered landscapes, cleared remnant vegetation, and sidelined cultural methods of caring for Country.
At Conservation Futures, we recognize that true resilience starts with safeguarding Indigenous knowledge and data. For generations, cultural and ecological information has been extracted, misused, or lost, leaving communities without control over their own stories and resources. We’re here to change that—by building secure, community-led digital systems that keep data grounded On Country, guided by community, and governed by the people it belongs to.
Conservation Futures envisions a future where Indigenous custodianship drives environmental protection and healing for Country (land, water, sky, plants, animals, and people). As an Aboriginal-owned, founded, and managed organisation, we create ethical digital tools that recognize, safeguard, and weave together knowledge systems—empowering communities to own, control, and share their data on their terms.
Conservation Futures brings together Traditional Custodians, governments, private landholders, natural resource managers, and not-for-profit organisations to co-design a standardised knowledge system. This system integrates cultural, biodiversity, and conservation data in a secure, onshore environment, enabling standardised climate objectives that are informed by up-to-date, culturally inclusive information.
Through tools like the Integrated Knowledge System (IKS) and CF Cloud, users can store sensitive data—such as images, videos, audio, text, files, and coordinates—with full intellectual property (IP) protection. Features like revocable sharing and ownership transfer ensure communities maintain sovereignty, even in collaborations. This scalable system works from local family archives to regional and national projects, supporting informed decision-making that honors cultural protocols.
Conservation Futures demonstrates the power of our knowledge system through real-world case studies, showcasing how it supports decision-making in complex climate challenges. By combining cultural knowledge with secure data management, these examples highlight benefits like protecting sacred sites, repatriating cultural materials, and enabling ethical partnerships.
These stories illustrate how our tools foster long-term community growth and environmental stewardship.
Conservation Futures thrives on cross-sector partnerships that prioritize respect and shared impact. Current collaborators include: The University of Melbourne; Bush Heritage Australia; the University of Queensland; the Ian Potter Foundation; the Hermon Slade Foundation; CSIRO; the Victorian Government Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP); Natural Resource Management (NRM) Regions Australia; The Nature Conservancy; and The Australian Conservation Foundation.
We also offer services like web development and infrastructure consultation to help aligned organisations build culturally safe digital foundations.
At Conservation Futures, Communities of Practice are at the heart of how we build and sustain respectful, Indigenous-led collaborations. These are safe, co-designed spaces where Traditional Custodians, rangers, researchers, and aligned partners come together to share cultural knowledge, address environmental challenges, and co-create solutions that protect Country and data sovereignty.
As an Aboriginal-owned, founded, and managed organisation, we facilitate these communities through ethical digital tools like the Integrated Knowledge System (IKS) and CF Cloud—ensuring all shared data remains grounded On Country, guided by community, and governed by the people it belongs to. Whether documenting sacred sites, exchanging Country care practices, or planning repatriation efforts, our CoPs prioritize reciprocity, trust, and long-term empowerment.
Our CoPs are more than networks—they’re pathways to meaningful action. By participating, you can:
These communities are open to Indigenous families, organisations, rangers, and committed allies who value cultural safety and sovereignty.
We’re always evolving our CoPs to meet community needs. Here’s how you can connect:
We are very interested to hear from you. Please contact us to discuss ways of becoming involved.
Let’s sit down, have a yarn, and see how we can support your journey.
