Rosanne Quinnell

OurFlora was selected for mentoring by CSIRO's ONPrime program.
Project description: OurFlora is contextualised for the future when our 'life sciences' students who will be operating in emerging transdisciplinary areas where knowledge of the fundamentals of botany are required and where scientists and citizens will have developed a range of cultural sensitivities. In their future work, our students will be required to advise on how best to establish and sustain the global green economy. The digital economy and the green economy have been flagged as employment growth areas (Dept Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, 2010). Beyond the sciences, the scope of the project is proving to be dynamic and new directions are rapidly emerging, and many of these new directions will be realised with broader adoption of this technology to allow all kinds of geolocated narratives to be offered. Imagine the benefits to the community if councils could map the trees and plants in our parks and on our streets? We are entering a new and important phase where western science is working synergistically with indigenous knowledge systems. For example, in the areas of indigenous astrophysics and in traditional medicines. Emerging economies and the new focus on combining traditional and contemporary knowledge systems intersect with our unique vegetation. We need ways to leverage new technologies to improve engagement with our flora, and methods to increase awareness and appreciation of indigenous science (http://www.indigilab.com.au/what-is-indigenous-science/), language and culture.

"Botanical knowledge is critical for monitoring and mitigating the effects of climate change, shoring up food security and for developing cultural competence in our community. What if, with each passing generation, we, as a community, knew less and less about plants? Despite most of us knowing that plants photosynthesise and produce oxygen for us to breath, we seem to know little else. OurFlora offers a collaborative way to learn botanical and cultural narratives of the street trees in your suburb, and for school children to learn aboriginal words from stories that have been connected to the land for thousands of year. OurFlora.  Our solution."