Dr Jack Pascoe awarded ARC Discovery Indigenous scheme to support the management of Maar Country

Dr Jack Pascoe from the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystems Science has secured $858,790 from the Australian Research Council (ARC) to integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the management of Maar Country, enhancing ecosystem practices through the insights of Traditional Custodians.

This funding aims to create a spatially explicit adaptive management tool that enables managers to evaluate trade-offs among wildfire risk, biodiversity, and cultural values.

Dr. Pascoe's research will contribute to national efforts in emergency preparedness, conservation, and climate change by finally incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into ecosystem management.

“This grant represents an opportunity to include cultural values alongside biodiversity and fire risk in planning for the sustainable management of our forests,” Dr Pascoe said.

$11 million has been awarded to 11 researchers through the ARC Discovery Indigenous scheme, which supports research led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars, while also fostering the development of early-career researchers and higher-degree students.