More Than Maps: How Community Strengthens Mapping Projects
Mapping begins with connection to Country, to knowledge but also to each other. It grows from the stories carried in the land and the responsibility to share them with care. While mapping can be done alone, when people come together to map, something shifts. Knowledge moves more freely. Relationships strengthen. Mapping becomes a shared act, one rooted in respect, guided by purpose and enriched by the different voices around the table. It’s through these networks that mapping becomes more than a project. It becomes a way forward.
Stronger networks bring support to daily tasks, open doors in policy spaces and improve how land and water are cared for. They make sure that mapping is not just about the data, but about meaning, place and people.
That’s what communities like our IMW On Demand platform are here to support. They’re not here to direct, but rather to support you with tools and a space designed for learning and sharing with others with similar intentions to your own.
A Shared Path, Even From Afar
You might be the only person in your community currently mapping, or you might be part of a small team working on a local project. But across the country, others are walking a similar path, collecting data, listening to Elders, learning new technologies and figuring out what works best for them.
“I definitely think one of the highlights [of the National Indigenous Mapping Workshop 2024] is meeting different people from different areas that are doing very similar types of things and how we can better support each other in that space. And creating that network that if we do have questions or if someone is doing something else on someone else’s Country that we are able to connect with each other.”
Being part of a broader network of mapping Mob offers you the opportunity to address similar challenges and connect with those who understand the weight and the worth of what you’re doing. It reminds you that even when the work feels deeply local, you’re not alone.
Two-Way Science: Blending Knowledge for Stronger Maps
At its core, two-way science aims to bring together different ways of understanding the world. Not to replace one with the other, but to hold space for both.
When these ways of knowing come together, a fuller picture begins to form. Satellite images might show where a fire moved across the land, but it’s our Indigenous knowledge that explains how it started, how it behaved and what it meant for the health of Country. A GIS layer might trace watercourses on a screen, but stories passed down through generations reveal which waters are sacred, which appear only with the seasons and which are slowly fading away.
Through this kind of collaboration, maps become more than just data. They become stories and tools for planning and protection, grounded in truth and guided by care.
Our fully online platform fosters meaningful connections between modern tools and the reciprocal sharing of knowledge. By bringing together allies and Mob alike, the mapping community has a unique opportunity to bridge knowledge gaps and support two-way science for the wider benefit of us all.
An Example in Practice: United Communities Transforming Landscapes with Fire Knowledge
In the dry tropics of North Queensland, a new kind of land management has taken root, one that’s grounded in traditional knowledge and built through new relationships.
After the devastating bushfires of 2019-2020, Gugu Badhun Traditional Owners voiced concern about the health of their Country. Without traditional fire practices the land was suffering. What followed was the beginning of a unique collaboration between NQ Dry Tropics, the Firesticks Alliance, WWF Australia, Gugu Badan Traditional Owners and local graziers, all working together to restore balance to the land.
Source: World Wide Fund for Nature Australia
At the centre of the work is cultural burning, but this project is about more than reintroducing fire, it’s about shifting how land is managed, who holds knowledge and how communities can work together to care for Country.
Local graziers, many of whom once feared fire, are now working side by side with Elders, learning how to see fire as a tool, not a threat.
“By doing the type of burn that we’re doing we’re opening up Country. And we’re also allowing the medicine plants to grow. We’re allowing the, the good plants to grow, food plants, medicine trees, all that sort of stuff. And, it just makes it better for everybody.”
This is land management that listens, respects cultural authority and recognises the value of Indigenous knowledge.
It’s also community management, bringing people together, building trust and strengthening skills across generations. Young people are learning from Elders. Farmers are seeing fire differently and Country is responding.
This project shows what’s possible when land management, and mapping efforts, are community led and practiced with collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
Read more about how Traditional knowledge is transforming land and community management in North Queensland:
Why Networks Matter
So what does a mapping network really do?
IMW On Demand, A Place to Learn and Connect
IMW On Demand was created with community at its core. It’s more than just a learning platform. It’s a place for connection, growth and for walking the mapping journey together. Designed by and for Indigenous Australians, it offers tools and support for learning and sharing in ways that honour culture and build lasting skills.
Whether you’re just starting out or have been mapping for years, IMW On Demand helps you deepen your practice and strengthen your network, so you never have to feel like you’re doing it alone.
Here’s just some of what you’ll find on the platform:
Online Courses
Practical, flexible lessons covering everything from drone use to data collection to mapping online; all designed to be useful on Country, not just in theory.
A Place to Connect
Ask questions, share your wins or work through challenges with others who understand the journey. It’s a space where mappers come together.
Stories and Case Studies
Real examples from communities across Australia. Learn what’s working, what’s been learned along the way and how others are using mapping to make change.
Ongoing Support
The learning doesn’t stop when a workshop ends. IMW On Demand helps you keep the momentum going, at your pace, in your own time and in ways that work for your community.
Building Your Own Mapping Network?
You don’t need a big event or a special opportunity (although our free National Indigenous Mapping Workshops are pretty deadly) to begin building your network. It can start with something as simple as a conversation, a chat with someone from a nearby community, a colleague from a ranger group or a fellow mapper learning alongside you on IMW On Demand.
Small steps can grow into strong connections. Here’s some ways you can begin:
Reach Out
Start by making contact. Send a message through the platform, join a discussion board or share a story from your own mapping journey.
Share What You Know
Whether you’ve mastered a tool or learned something the hard way, your experience could be the insight someone else needs.
Ask For Support
Every mapper has faced challenges, and most are more than willing to lend a hand or share what helped them through.
Stay Curious
The more you connect, the more you learn. And with every new insight, your maps become richer, your practice stronger and your impact greater.
Start exploring IMW On Demand today, and build your network of fellow mappers.