Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA) Northern Leadership Intensive

Strengthening Environmental Leadership in the Top End

Landcare NT CEO Emily Raso joined a cohort of women and gender-diverse leaders for the WELA Northern Australia Leadership Intensive—a five-day program designed to cultivate resilient leadership for climate, nature, and community across the North.

Hosted at Riyala on Wulna Country (Noonamah), the program brought together First Nations and non-Indigenous participants from diverse sectors to explore how collaborative leadership can shape long-term environmental change. The intensive encouraged honest dialogue, self-reflection, and skill-building in a setting grounded in care for people and place.

Emily represented Landcare NT’s commitment to inclusive, community-led land stewardship, and our focus on collaboration to grow positive change in the Territory.

The program highlighted the need to move beyond the leadership models that have contributed to current environmental and social crises. Gentle yet strong leadership was explored as a highly effective approach to fostering care, collaboration, and long-term positive outcomes.

“For systems change in the NT we require true integration of First nation and non-Indigenous knowledge, skills and action,” Emily said.

Participation in the intensive also broadened Landcare NT’s network of women and organisations working in ways that care for nature and community. These connections will help grow opportunities to support and resource community Landcare groups across the Territory.