Indigenous and cross-cultural wildlife research in Australia: editorial

This special collection of Wildlife Research focuses on the importance of Indigenous inclusion and leadership in the stewardship of Australian ecosystems. It highlights the urgent need for collaborations in conservation to address the declining health of our environment and the limitations of historical and current approaches to land management. The issue emphasises that Indigenous Australians hold unique, deep, spiritual and kinship connections to Country steeped in millennia of experience and experimentation, making their voices crucial in shaping the future of environmental management. The collection outlines three key themes. (1) Putting Country first: Indigenous priorities are central to wildlife research and management, prioritising culturally significant entities (CSEs) that hold immense cultural, symbolic, and spiritual value for Indigenous Australians. (2) Opportunities for researchers working on Country: collaboration with Indigenous Australians offers significant opportunities for researchers to learn from Indigenous deep knowledge of the land, enhance research effectiveness, and embrace a more holistic perspective of ecosystems. (3) Respect and reciprocity: successful partnerships with Indigenous Australians are based on respect for culture, cultural obligations to care for Country, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and community aspirations. This includes adhering to principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), safeguarding Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), and ensuring fair representation in authorship and benefit sharing. The issue emphasises the vital role that Indigenous knowledge and perspectives play in achieving sustainable and culturally appropriate solutions for managing Australia’s natural environment.