Merging First Nation's knowledge with science
Feb 11, 2026 6:30 PM
Dr Vanessa Pirotta
Merging First Nation's knowledge with science
Vanessa Pirotta is an Australian wildlife scientist, science communicator and author. Her research uses innovative technologies, like drones and AI, for wildlife conservation. Pirotta is the founder and chief scientist of Wild Sydney Harbour, a scientific and citizen science program which is learning more about marine life in Sydney Harbour, Australia. She has published children's books about whales.
Vanessa is working collaboratively with the Gamay Rangers to merge First Nations knowledge with science. This project is aimed at monitoring marine mammals on Sea Country and connecting community with our blue backyard of Sydney, Australia.