Ms Leonore Carr1, Mr Vincent Scott1, Mr Jimmy Kingston1
1DeadlyScience, PORT MACQUARIE, Australia
Biography:
Vincent Scott
Vince is a proud Dunghutti and Dharawal man, leader, educator, and program manager with over 20 years’ experience across education, community, and government sectors. Skilled in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through engagement, retention, and pathways to employment, Vince has extensive experience in delivering culturally responsive STEM programs, suicide prevention initiatives, and workforce development. As Director of First Nations and Community Engagement at DeadlyScience, Vince supports the development and delivery of programs and partnership building with schools, educators and key stakeholders in diverse communities across Australia.
Gregory Crocetti
Gregory Crocetti is a microbial ecologist, science educator and writer. Gregory earned his PhD studying bacterial communities across diverse environments, including sponges, seaweed, stromatolites, and sewage. After a decade researching at UQ, UNSW and Lund University, he moved into science education, developing and delivering art-science workshops and creating seven award-winning picture books and graphic novels. Gregory is now a Senior Program Manager at DeadlyScience, where he develops and delivers two-way STEM knowledge to First Nations learners across Australia.
Abstract:
Ecosystems face escalating pressures from climate change, habitat loss and invasive species, yet community and school participation in environmental monitoring remains limited. DeadlyScience, in partnership with government agencies, scientific partners, and Indigenous Ranger groups, has developed the 'Caring for Country with eDNA' program: a school-based citizen science educational program that uses genomic monitoring to help schools develop their own focus and strategies for caring for Country.
Rather than a standalone science activity, eDNA becomes a starting point for a broader conversation about caring for Country. School groups contribute data to broader citizen science collections, with laboratory analysis returning localised biodiversity data to schools. This data inspires a planning session aligned with our caring for Country approach, in which the school community interprets its results and develops a self-directed environmental action plan grounded in place.
Central to the program is a Two-Way Science methodology, exploring biodiversity data through both contemporary genomic science and First Nations knowledge systems, positioning Traditional Owners, Indigenous Rangers and other cultural knowledge holders as leaders. DeadlyScience has also developed an interactive dashboard so schools can continue exploring eDNA data over time, supporting ongoing monitoring and reflection as part of each school's Caring for Country strategy.
This program offers a scalable blueprint to empower educators and guide school communities to draw on local biodiversity data and work with local cultural knowledge holders to inspire sustained, place-based approaches to caring for Country.