E7 - Yedabila Habitat Pods, Habitat Warriors & Indigenous Astronomy - with Kai Lane

In this episode I speak with Kai Lane, a proud Yorta Yorta and Barapa Barapa man who serves as an ecologist at Ecology & Restoration Australia (ERA) and as a board member for Eco Warriors Australia. In 2025, he was awarded the National prize for Indigenous Led Science at the Ecological Society of Australia conference for his innovative Yedabila habitat pods, which are traditional woven huts used to protect turtle nests and provide aquatic wildlife shelter.

Beyond his technical field work, Kai leads Cultural Heritage sessions for the Habitat Warriors program, where he uses storytelling and traditional practices to teach schoolchildren how to "care for Country" from an Indigenous perspective. He is also an author, recently releasing a book through Habitat Warriors that explores the traditional First Nations' uses of Australian flora for food, medicine and tools.

I speak with Kai about the Yedabila habitat project, the inspiring work of Habitat Warriors, Indigenous football (Marn Grook), Indigenous astronomy, seasonal calendars and cultural plant knowledge.

To learn more about the Yedabila Habitat Pods and Habitat Warriors visit: https://habitatwarriors.com.au/

Email comments, feedback or content suggestions to [e-mail]