Cultivating connections that shape attitudes toward the marine environment are vital for improving ocean health. The dugong (Dugong dugon), a keystone species, holds significance for Traditional Owners across its Australian range. Despite its cultural and ecological importance, a lack of dedicated dugong programs in western curricula persists.
We established the Dugong Connections Engagement Project to foster meaningful collaboration between Traditional Owners and western scientists, improve connection with communities and establish trusted relationships. By collaborating with Traditional Owners to deliver dugong and seagrass education initiatives, our team seeks to foster a two-way approach that honours Indigenous and western knowledge systems. We developed a session aligned with national curricula for Foundation to Year Three that incorporates multiple learning styles including active and collaborative learning. The initiative enhances western scientific knowledge about dugongs and their seagrass habitats while ensuring the creation of relevant learning materials that remain within the community.
Delivered in remote, majority Indigenous schools, this lower primary education program improves ocean literacy by strengthening children’s awareness, attitudes, and stewardship toward dugongs in their Sea Country, and the broader seagrass ecosystem. This presentation will explore the program’s implementation, key lessons learned, and its broader potential to inform ocean literacy strategies across Australia.