Meet the Network is an ongoing profile series that centres the people we value and collaborate with across communities, projects, and practice. Each edition shares personal stories, lived experience, and knowledge that shape and strengthen this work.
These profiles aim to recognise the relationships that underpin our work, acknowledge contributions across the network, and provide a deeper understanding of the shared responsibility of caring for Country, culture, and community.
Uncle Gerry Turpin is widely recognised as one of Australia’s leading Indigenous ethnobotanists, whose life’s work sits at the intersection of Culture, science, and Country.
A proud Mbabaram Man from Far North Queensland, his knowledge is grounded not only in formal botanical training, but in generations of Cultural Practice and lived experience on Country. Based at the Australian Tropical Herbarium, he leads the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre, an Indigenous-led initiative developed in partnership with Traditional Owners, research institutions, and government. Established in response to community calls to safeguard Cultural Knowledge, the centre places Cultural Authority at the heart of scientific research.
Uncle Gerry’s work is defined by his commitment to continuity and his ability to see the bigger picture. Through time on Country, he works alongside Elders and younger generations to document plant knowledge as it is shared, ensuring it remains accessible to community on their own terms. For many years, Uncle Gerry has also worked alongside Living Knowledge Network Founder Victor Steffensen, sharing knowledge on Country and supporting the ongoing practice of Cultural fire and its role in ecological care.
In your own words, how would you describe ethnobotany, and why is it important for people to understand the relationship between people and plants?
Ethno means people and culture, botany is the study of plants. Ethnobotany is about the relationships between people and plants. Traditional plant knowledge is embedded in language, culture and experiences on Country.
When you’re working on Country, what are you looking for in plants that others might overlook?
I work with the two knowledge systems here. When I’m working with Elders and knowledge holders, I’m not just looking at the plant itself - I’m looking at their relationships to the plant, its story, and its place in the landscape. And whether it’s food, medicine, material, or ceremonial, who uses and prepares it and how it’s harvested, who uses it, how it’s prepared, and when it’s harvested, etc.
From a western science point of view, location in the landscape, whether it’s flowering and/or fruiting, signs of stress, disease, abundance and affected by weeds. These things can signal environmental issues on a landscape scale.
The two knowledge systems can work together and complement each other.
Are there particular plant indicators that tell you how Country is travelling or when it needs care
Yes. Elders and knowledge holders often talk about how the flowering of a plant can indicate something else is happening on country.
For example, when a particular wattle blooms, it tells them the mullet is ready to eat and in prime condition. This is how they harvested food at the right time and in the right condition and maintained physical health and sustainability. Every Nation has their own indicator plants.
What changes do you observe in Country after a Cultural Burn?
Personally, I’ve seen how the animals and birds seem to be attracted to the burnt area. You can see the tracks of birds and animals in the soil that are looking for dropped seeds. Also seeing the physical presence of those birds and animals attracted to the area.
With regular Cultural Burns, you see the decline of weeds and pests start to disappear, and more of the native plants coming back. Importantly, you can see the physical and mental changes of the people, it seems to have a good effect on them.
Over your lifetime, what key changes have you observed on Country in terms of climate, species, and land health?
Elders talk about how plants are flowering at different times, changes in the flow or drying up of the creeks and rivers. They talk about vegetation thickening, where once upon a time they could see right through the forests where as now its too scrubby, due to lack of Cultural Fire. They talk about bush tucker and bush medicine becoming scarce or disappearing. Elders also talk about the number of weeds, pests and erosion which affect their own food source and country.
In today’s context of climate change and biodiversity loss, what role does ethnobotany play?
Previously Aboriginal people had lived on Country for thousands of years through climatic and environmental changes building up that huge amount of knowledge to look after Country. They had the time to adapt but now since colonisation, climate change and biodiversity loss is happening at a much quicker rate plus a combination of the lack of access to country, and loss of language and culture.
Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge (IBK) has already helped First Nations people adapt to these changes way before modern science recognised the problems and can work with western science by providing understanding of seasonal, climatic and environmental changes on country.
Why is this knowledge important to protect and strengthen today?
Firstly, as reflected in the name change to the Firesticks Organistion, it is living knowledge. It’s important to First Nations that this living knowledge is passed down from generation to generation because it’s helps us understand how to live with Country, not just use it. In a changing climate, that knowledge is critical to protect and keep both country and culture strong. IBK is also becoming recognised by western science as a key resource for conserving country, bringing Country back to health and maintaining biodiversity.
- Thanks for the chat Uncle Gerry
