The concept of resilience has attracted much attention in recent times. However, there remains a distinct knowledge gap with respect to the social aspects of resilience. This paper describes six attributes of social resilience identified through case study research. Research was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers who worked in partnership with representatives from five key government and non-government agencies from the Wet Tropics region in North Queensland, Australia. Research findings move understanding of social resilience, which is an emerging area of interest within natural resource management, from a set of assumptions to an evidence base.

‘Boundary work’ is a relatively new and innovative qualitative approach in place-based research and often involves the creation of ‘boundary objects’. Such objects can be created collaboratively with Indigenous communities, and can be used to communicate knowledge, values and aspirations across social and political boundaries. This article provides an account of boundary work within place-based research communities of practice developed between geographers and Indigenous communities. We draw on our own boundary work research and present a conceptual framework for geographers to draw on when engaging in boundary work and co-creating boundary objects with Indigenous communities.

The concept of ''usable knowledge'' is central to sustainability science, but most of the research that explores this concept focuses on the science-policy interface. This paper expands this scholarship by describing a participatory research methodology that aimed to facilitate knowledge sharing between indigenous peoples, and support indigenous community efforts to consider different knowledge claims and negotiate indigenous knowledge that could be used for environmental risk assessments and management responses. We draw on two case studies to show how a participatory mapping approach enabled Aboriginal people connected to the Girringun Indigenous Corporation (Girringun) in northern Australia to negotiate the knowledge needed to assess the environmental risks that affect their territories. Individuals painted and drew maps of their values, knowledge, and management aspirations for water and native vegetation. These maps were shared with the wider group to enable the consideration of different perspectives and the negotiation of agreed risks affecting local watersheds and native vegetation. These maps were also used to facilitate the design of knowledge partnerships among the Girringun tribal groups, staff, and other collaborators that are critical to re-framing and co-managing the environmental risks affecting this region of northern Australia.

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