Shaina Russell Australian Society for Limnology Conference 2017

Shaina Russell

Shaina Russell is a PhD candidate with the Department of Environmental Sciences at Macquarie University. Under the supervision of Dr Emilie Ens, she currently works with the Ngukurr Yangbala (young people’s) Ranger Group in an Aboriginal community in South East Arnhem Land using cross-cultural techniques in environmental management. Shaina completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences with honours from Southern Cross University. Her honours worked with an Indigenous community and Indigenous Protected Area from the mid north coast of New South Wales on Indigenous fisheries, traditional knowledge and environmental contamination. Melissa Wurramarrba and Ernest Daniels are part of the Ngukurr Yangbala Group and are currently studying at Macquarie University. The Ngukurr Yangbala Group is a pathway program for Young People of Ngukurr to develop skills for potential employment in the remote community of Ngukurr, mainly for land management and cultural work. They work with scientists and elders to build their knowledge about Country and culture using both ways techniques – using Traditional knowledge and Western science. They are primarily funded by The Nature Conservancy and the Ngukurr Stronger Communities for Children initiative. The group is led by Senior Ngandi woman Cherry Wulumirr Daniels, Dr Emilie Ens (Macquarie University) and the Yugul Mangi Rangers of Ngukurr.