We invite you to join us in Cairns, Queensland, Australia in July 2026 for ISE 2026, the 19th Congress of the International Society of Ethnobiology.
The International Society of Ethnobiology (ISE) was founded in 1988 and is a global collaborative network of individuals and organisations working to preserve vital links between human societies and the natural world.
Meeting in Australia for the very first time, ISE 2026 will welcome academics, activists, practitioners and visionaries from over 60 countries who are engaged with diverse communities and environments. The Congress will provide an opportunity for ethnobotanists, Indigenous elders and Custodians, and scientists to come together in person to share and learn, work through differences, and build understandings on difficult topics.
ISE 2026 will facilitate an ‘ethical space’ where different world views can interact and share information across geographical and cultural boundaries within multicultural communities in Australia and worldwide, creating an interactive forum for cross-cultural exchanges.
The conference program will offer a diverse range of keynote speakers to inspire and promote discussion, in addition to oral and poster presentations, cultural activities and yarning circles.
Innovative and interactive sessions will delve into biodiversity and cultural landscapes as conceptualised and contested by decolonial, indigenous and local practitioners and scholars.
This inclusive and expansive approach honours the legacy and vision of the founder of the International Society of Ethnobiology, academic and activist, Darrel Posey (1947-2001), who sought to explore biocultural diversity in all its dimensions and whose spirit remains among us.