The University of Tasmania's Nature Connection Project, together with the Resilient Landscapes Hub and the Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Research Network, will host a three-day international workshop exploring how different cultures can work together to strengthen community engagement in biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and sustainable futures.
The workshop will bring together researchers, policymakers, Indigenous scholars, practitioners and industry leaders from Australia and Japan.
Workshop details
- Date: October 20-22, 2026
- Location: Hobart, Tasmania
- Attendance: In-person (places limited); online
Registration
In-person registration is full. You can register to attend online for day 1 of the workshop (October 20). Registration closes at 9am Mon, October 19.
Workshop objectives
Foster knowledge-sharing practices
Promote knowledge sharing and practices to foster nature connection as a national and global agenda of Japan and Australia.
Share research insights
Provide a platform for research insights and lessons learned from the best practices and pathways of research, policy and program implementations by both countries, aiming to impact biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and sustainable futures.
Connect priorities
Establish networks to promote nature connection as a cross-cutting agenda for further research, policy and program development.
Agenda
- October 20, 8.30am to 5pm
- In-person (Philip Smith Centre), online
Day 1 will be a hybrid event featuring presentations and discussion on the latest international research on human–nature relationships, including implications for wellbeing, biodiversity conservation and connections to Country.
Session 1: Relationships explores the foundations of human–nature relationships, drawing on perspectives from psychology, ecology, geography, Indigenous knowledge and the social sciences. It asks how relationships with nature are formed, how they differ across cultures, and how they can be understood and measured.
Session 2: Impact examines how human–nature relationships influence noticing nature (as informal and formal monitoring), biodiversity conservation, environmental stewardship and community resilience. It explores the growing evidence linking connection with positive outcomes for people and nature.
Session 3: Action showcases practical initiatives that strengthen relationships with nature and encourage conservation action across diverse communities.
Session 4: Systems explores the diverse coalitions of support and leverage points people are findings to support nature-positive actions across local, national and international policy, practice, networks and finance. It considers how organisations and governments can incorporate human–nature relationships into decision-making to enable long-term stewardship of biodiversity.
Wrap-up: 4.50pm-5pm
- October 21, 7.15am to 7pm
- In-person only (bus departs/returns at the Old Woodstore)
Day 2 will provide an opportunity for place-based learning and relationship-building through visits to local sites of ecological and cultural significance, highlighting Tasmanian approaches to caring for Country and conserving biodiversity.
- October 22, 9.30am to 4.30pm
- In-person only (The Forest, Hobart)
Day 3 will focus on collaboration, with workshops and discussions exploring practical applications, including creating more nature-connected communities, developing effective policies and programs, and advancing approaches to measuring and understanding nature connection and its impacts.
Note to participants
Melissa Sweet and Mitchell Ward are attending from Croakey Conference News Service to cover the conference. They will be taking notes, taking photos and recording videos and interviews. Croakey.org will publish an in-depth news feature report. As part of our contract with the HEAL Network, this will be published as a preview article before the online HEAL conference. If any participants do not want to be photographed or want to keep any comments private (not reported), please let us know.
Study with us
Interested in learning more about conservation, sustainability and the environment from the University of Tasmania?
Contact us
For more information about the Cultures of Care workshop, please contact Dr Emily Flies.