The Melanesia Bio‑Cultural Network is pleased to welcome Ms Lea Creux as a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, where she will be working alongside Indigenous leaders, researchers, and community partners across Melanesia for nine months.

Ms Creux’s work focuses on customary governance, community‑led conservation, and the integration of traditional ecological knowledge into contemporary conservation frameworks. With experience working closely with Indigenous communities in the Pacific, her research reflects a strong commitment to ethical collaboration, respect for customary authority, and knowledge co‑production.

During her fellowship, Ms Creux is contributing to regional efforts that emerged from the ICCB 2025 “Conservation Is Not a New Thing in Melanesia” symposium, which brought together Indigenous leaders and researchers from Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. These conversations helped inspire the formation of the Melanesia Bio‑Cultural Network, highlighting the need for a dedicated Indigenous‑led platform to connect communities, research, and policy.

Ms Creux is also involved in a Pacific Fonds–supported initiative that examines customary natural resource management systems across Melanesia. This collaborative project aims to document and better understand practices such as tabu and tambu areas, and to support their recognition within national, regional, and international conservation and climate frameworks. The work brings together partners from New Caledonia, Melanesia, and Australia, strengthening regional cooperation and local research capacity.

Reflecting on her fellowship, Ms Creux has expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to learn from Melanesian communities and to contribute to work grounded in culture, place, and long‑standing stewardship of land and sea.

We are delighted to have Ms Creux as part of the growing MBCN community and look forward to the insights, relationships, and shared learning that will emerge from her time with us.