People-Nature Relations report

On 17 July 2025, environmental practitioners and academics came together in Canberra for a collaborative workshop that supported the production of a new report, now publicly available. The workshop was hosted by the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University and created a focused space for shared learning, discussion, and reflection on people-nature relations in the ACT.

Participants represented a broad cross section of the ACT environmental sector, including ACT Government, Australian National University, Ginninderry Conservation Trust, Invasive Species Council, Southern ACT Catchment Group, University of Canberra, Woodlands and Wetlands Trust, and of course, Landcare ACT. Bringing together practitioners and academics enabled open exchange between research and on the ground experience, strengthening connections across policy, practice, and science.

Discussions during the workshop directly shaped the report, People-Nature Relations in the ACT: A report on the present and future of monitoring and management. The report highlights the importance of understanding how people relate to, value, and care for nature, and emphasises the need to complement ecological monitoring with social and relational perspectives.

The report has now been published and is available to access, extending the impact of the workshop beyond the day itself. Together, the workshop and report demonstrate the value of collaboration across government, community organisations, and universities in supporting effective, evidence informed environmental monitoring and management in the ACT.

Huge thank you to Rachael & Jasper at the ANU Public Awareness of Science for getting us together and asking for our input in this report.