Julie Jones
River Fellow at Murray Darling Conservation Alliance

I am a River Fellow 2026 through the MDCA. The River Fellowship is not simply about water policy, science or advocacy. It is about people — people carrying very different histories, perspectives, griefs, hopes and levels of understanding about the river system. Every participant comes with their own story.

I most closely identify with the Lower Murray and the connected lakes and wetlands of the CLLMM region.

I come from a generational River family. Living alongside Lakes Alexandrina and Albert, the lower Murray, and the Coorong has shaped my sense of place and stewardship. This interconnected system is more than a landscape—it is a living, breathing environment whose rhythms, seasons and stories influence daily life. I feel a deep connection to its cultural significance, ecological richness and resilience. The wetlands, river channels and estuarine waters are part of my identity, grounding me in a profound respect for the land, the water and the communities they sustain.

What has struck me most deeply is the patience and acceptance required in this space.  Across the Basin there is anxiety, uncertainty, exhaustion and, for some, relief. Anxiety from communities who feel unheard or fearful of what change means for their future. Relief from those who finally feel their voices, Country or ecological concerns are beginning to be recognised. Others are still processing loss — of certainty, livelihood, ecosystems, trust or identity connected to river places.

The River Fellows program creates something incredibly important: space for listening. It’s a space that you have been invited in to so you really have to behave yourself.. haha

Stories influence perception. Too often, the complexity of the Basin is reduced to conflict or politics, when in reality there are deeply human stories of care, dependence, resilience and hope. I believe we need to tell these stories better.

WHAT WE ALL HAVE IN COMMON IS care for place, fairness, sustainability, future generations — we often find more common ground than difference.