Australia has committed to become “nature positive”. The Australian nature repair market establishes a framework for a national biodiversity market to incentivise actions to restore and protect the environment and deliver improved biodiversity outcomes. Businesses can invest in nature repair projects on Australian land and waters to obtain tradable certificates. Nature repair projects could also support Australia in its commitment to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

The purpose of this workshop is to draw on the collective experience of Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network members and associates to identify unique considerations for including coastal ecosystems in nature repair projects, such as First Nations peoples’ stewardship in protection of existing coastal ecosystems. We will aim to answer the following questions:

1.        What activities have significant capacity to protect and restore mangroves and saltmarshes at scale across Australia?

2.        What indicators or metrics of biodiversity are best practice to measure and monitor biodiversity changes in mangroves and saltmarshes?

3.        What are they key challenges with achieving genuine nature positive outcomes for mangrove and saltmarsh ecosystems.

The outcomes of the workshop will be reported back to the participants on science/policy/practice gaps and solutions. It will help inform proposals to develop nature repair market methods for coastal wetlands in Australia and broader work by the Global Mangrove Alliance to identify indicator best practices for restoration and conservation.

Interdisciplinary artist Caitlin Franzman will lead attendees in a collaborative workshop to document the learnings, observations and feelings gathered during the conference.  These will then be converted into a ‘divination deck’ of cards.

This proposal is for the development and production of a deck of intertidal ecosystem-based divination cards. It will build upon previous ecosystem specific divination cards developed by Caitlin in collaboration with scientists, indigenous knowledge holders and local conservationists, in which cards focus on specific species and the stories about how they survive, thrive and form relationships within their habitat. From these observations, the cards can be used in readings and offer guidance to people about their life, relationships, dreams and worries.

This project will use the conference sessions as opportunities for information and knowledge gathering about creatures that are integral to the health and well-being of the mangrove and saltmarsh ecosystems. It will include:

-        1hr workshop session on the first day to provide participants with tools for attuning with other beings, considering how to observe, sense and feel beyond through a scientific lens. We will encourage participants to capture notes and photos during field trips.

-        2hr workshop session final day deep dive into one creature the participant has observed during the field trips. This will include writing and drawing exercises for which material will be used to develop the final deck of cards post conference.  Each participant will receive a free deck of cards once printed.

-        A reading and reflection room including a board and post-it notes for attendees to share knowledge about creatures that live in the mangroves and saltmarshes. This will be in a lecture theater, accessible throughout the conference.