The concept of the ‘shifting baseline syndrome’ has assisted researchers in understanding how expectations for the health of the environment deteriorate, despite known, often widespread, and significant impacts from human activities. The concept has been used to demonstrate that more accurate assessment of historical ecosystem decline can be achieved by balancing contemporary perceptions with other sorts of evidence, and is now widely referred to in studies assessing environmental change. The potential of this concept as a model for examining and addressing complex and multidimensional social‐ecological interactions, however, is underexplored and current approaches have limitations. We perceive the shifting baseline syndrome as a rare working example of a ‘connective concept’ that can work across fields of science, the humanities and others and that re‐envisioning the concept in this way would assist us to establish more complete, true and reflective environmental baselines. Through our diverse author team, from a range of disciplines, geographies and cultural backgrounds, we identify gaps in current knowledge of the shifting baseline syndrome concept, its use and its effects, and describe several approaches that could be taken to improve investigations and capitalise on the connectivity that it fosters. This re‐envisioning could support a more informed and just way forward in addressing global environmental change. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Summary: There is little attention focused on how Indigenous Australian people engage with the environment and how other ecologists can include this interdisciplinary approach into their practice. Despite many ecologists' genuine desire to work across cultural fields together, there are some notable differences between Western and Indigenous ideologies. One of these principles involves an embodied process that allows us as Indigenous people to connect, analyse, predict and measure changes in Country. This cultural tool of knowing is bounded in place‐based narratives that are sensory‐driven to filter and guide our field experiences. This article serves as an essential resource for scientists and conservationists to rethink their connections to place through immersive bodily experiences as a meaningful apparatus to increase public environmental stewardship. After all, is it not our desire to inspire ecological thinking within a public domain?

This article uses Yarning with Country as a methodological approach where Country plays a pivotal role as an active participant. Our focus is on examining how we learn from and establish respectful, reciprocal, and accountable relationships with Country, as told through the eyes and experiences of knowledge holders, in this case, Doc Reynolds. The knowledge shared about the importance and meaning of Country contributes to advancing ecological-research methodologies to better acknowledge and learn from Indigenous knowledge systems, offering insights into sustainable practices and community engagement within landscapes. This body of knowledge serves as an invitation for Australians to reconceptualise Country, envisioning it both as a noun and a verb. As a noun, Country represents the physical landscape and environment, imbued with cultural significance and history. As a verb, it highlights the dynamic and interactive relationships that exist between people and their environment. This dual understanding encourages a deeper engagement with Country, that it is not merely a backdrop for human activity but a living entity that requires care, respect, and ongoing dialogue.

This chapter will explore, interpret and examine aspects of culture within higher educational experiences of Aboriginal academics and their impact authority on cultural knowledge has on teaching and learning. The panel members who confirmed my PhD candidacy were non-Indigenous and particularly interested in how culture is interpreted as a set of culturally safe practices and represented in other settings. This confirmed to me that the complex concept of culture and that the contemporary definitions of cultural safety and cultural competence needed some deeper exploration from an Indigenous perspective. Particularly the language that is used in relation to culture and how that language can be interpreted, often incorrectly. Clarification of Aboriginal culture and language appears to lie in the sole responsibility of the Aboriginal person. Even when the onus of that fails to the non-Indigenous person to seek further understanding on Indigenous culture. When discussing this with Liz Cameron, venting frustration about how Indigenous people repeatedly need to frame and re-frame language and need to define our use of language to “set the scene” before discussing actual topic we want to discuss. I exclaimed “how far back do we need to go?” She said “200,000 years and then some more.” Liz is wise. She has experienced exactly the same thing many times. From this we decided perhaps we needed to explore this further and write a chapter about this phenomenon.

This interview began like other initial yarning conversations on who we are and where we belong. Yarning serves as a medium to establish and build respectful relationships, exchange stories and traditions, and preserve and pass on cultural knowledge. The following discussion is with Oliver Costello, a Bundjalung man, from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. Oliver was instrumental in creating the Firesticks Initiative, Firesticks Alliance and Jagun Alliance.