All photography provided by Emma Lupin unless stated.

Emma Lupin is a plant lover, sensory explorer and an environmental educator. Her work in Tropical Australia entwines a love of place, plants and people. 

Emma trained in plantsmanship and horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh nearly 20 years ago and found herself more at home in the tropical glasshouses amongst the gingers, subsequently spending most of her adult life in the tropics, eventually arriving in the Northern Territory by sailing boat and studying environmental science. Her studies included being immersed in the landscapes with mentors- both indigenous and non indigenous and completing a Bachelor of Environmental Science at Charles Darwin University alongside a Certificate IV in Visual Arts (2013).

She has dedicated her time since to sharing her ever growing understanding of the botanical and natural world, as well as facilitating others to do the same through community projects and educational programs- with the intention to strengthen our connection to our natural environment and shape our role in protecting it. 

Her work is carried out in remote places and across cultures and spans the areas of both art and science. 

Emma is currently working in various roles including with the Strong Women for Healthy Country network, supporting cultural and art spaces at events, leadership meetings and logistics for larger forums that bring indigenous women together. Her other role is as an education officer with Landcare NT, within the Creek Connections program, encouraging a broader sweep of community members to connect and care for urban creeks and natural areas.

Emma has received recognition for her roles in community engagement and environmental education in the Northern Territory.

These roles have been extensive and include more recently included a full time remote residential role working with indigenous corporation “Mimal Land Management” for 2.5 yeara as the Learning on Country coordinator. This role facilitates intergenerational knowledge transfer through a community led program  that partners between the indigenous land management organisation and the school. Since then she has facilitated culture camps and on country projects for the organisation and community.

In 2022 Emma was awarded a Churchill fellowship, and handed over her full time role in Arnhemland to research education programs that support the exchange of cultural plant knowledge with a focus on dye plants.

The research involved travelling to South East Asia, Hawa’ii and Mexico. Since her return in mid 2024 she has used her new experiences to enhance work (above) and continuing to facilitate culture camps for elders in the Mimal (proposed) IPA as well as in East Arnhemland on cultural knowledge weaving exchanges.

Previous roles have included coordinating the Land for Wildlife program (Top End region) for 6 years, community engagement officer and events coordinating for several local community gardens and organisations, facilitating cross cultural harvesting and weaving experiences in Arnhem land homelands, coordinating immersion programs for new female migrants based on connection through edible and useful plant knowledge and engagement with indigenous elders in the  local landscape, documenting medicinal plants in Tiwi Islands and facilitating educational program to promote intergenerational knowledge transfer.

In addition to roles in Environmental education Emma has a passion for photography and art and has carried out many exhibitions, projects and collaborations in this space.

ACHIEVEMENTS