collaborating for ecological thriving

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collaborating for ecological thriving 𓇢

Peer Reviewed Publications, Public Scholarship & Presentations

illustration of sorghum plant

Presentations:

Nxumalo, F. & Makins, T. C. (March 2024). Anti-colonial orientations to place-based and environmental education. Invited panelist for Highlighted session: Education across the African diaspora: Emerging research perspectives, practices, and connections. CIES conference, Miami, USA.

Nxumalo, F. (August 2024). Decolonising climate change education: Integrating Black, Indigenous & Black-Indigenous Ecologies for livable futures. Invited talk for the University of South Africa (UNISA). Department of Science & Technology Education (Online). 

Nxumalo, F. (July 2024). EnergyWaterFoodClimateNexus International Summit,  co-hosted by Mangosuthu University of Technology & FAMU. Invited speaker. Durban, South Africa.

Nxumalo, F. (November 2024). Indigenous childhoods and land-water relations: Considerations toward thriving, sustainable futures. Invited keynote for the Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) Conference 2023 with Dr. M. Bang, Dr. A. Lees, & Dr. B. Brayboy, Chicago, USA.

Nxumalo, F. (April 2025). Environmental crises & inequality. Invited panelist for AERA Presidential Session: AERA Annual Meeting. Denver, Colorado.

Nxumalo, F. (May 2025). Undisciplining Routes: With gratitude to Black feminisms. Invited keynote for the 21st Gender & Education Association Conference.  Conference theme: Re-Routing and Re-Imagining Gender and Education. Manchester, UK. 

Craig, JP., Rizarri, K., Martindale, E., & Nxumalo, F. (June 2025). Co-designing climate resilience with Black and Indigenous communities through ethical relationality with plant relatives. In panel Relational and collaborative methodologies in Black and Indigenous research: Ethical and creative approaches, NAISA Conference. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Nxumalo, F. & Madkins, T.C. (July 2025). Thinking with Black ecologies in early childhood education. 5th International Sociology Association Forum. Rabat, Morocco.

Nxumalo, F., Madkins, T.C., & Mogale, T. (August 2025). Rooted in solidarity: Leveraging Indigenous and local ecological knowledge for climate resilience through school garden co-design. Transformations Community/Earth System Governance (TC/ESG) Project. Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Nxumalo, F. (August 2025). Socio-Ecological Systems Research Methods. Invited panelist for the Conference Navigating Sustainability Transformations Towards Justice and Equity TC/ESG25. Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Nxumalo, F. (October 2025). (Re)storying Black ecologies in early childhood education. CP & CORYMI 2025: The 26th Annual Curriculum and Pedagogy Group Conference. Ciudad Mexico/Mexico City, Mexico. 

Zuiker, S. J., Nxumalo, F., & Madkins, T. C. (October 2025). Community-rooted, ecoregion-oriented systemic design for climate-resilient food systems. Paper presented at the 14th Conference on Research in Systemic Design. Toronto, Canada.

Zuiker, S., Nxumalo, F., Madkins, T. C., Maddalena, D., Lanza, K., Mogale, T., Mathebula, N., Ikpomwosa, D., Mpati, N., Mchunu, A. I., & Mngometulu, N. (November 2025). Examining solidarity-driven co-design in a North–South university partnership for community-engaged scholarship. Conference on Scholarship of Engagement. Umlazi, South Africa.

Nxumalo, F. (August 2026, forthcoming). Resisting climate coloniality: (Re)storying climate change adaptation with young children in Eswatini and South Africa. Invited keynote for the 40th International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) World Congress. Ottawa, Canada. 

Publications:

Childhood Place Pedagogy Lab. (2025). Indigenous Seasonal Calendar, Limpopo

Childhood Place Pedagogy Lab. (2025). Indigenous Seasonal Calendar, KwaZulu-Natal

Childhood Place Pedagogy Lab. (2025). Indigenous Seasonal Calendar, Gauteng

ka Canham, Bam-Hutchison, Craig, Nxumalo, & Madkins. (2025). Insisting on relation: Hugo ka Canham & June Bam-Hutchison in conversation

(Our Indigenous Seasonal Calendar booklets are designed through an iterative and collaborative process between participants, educators, and other community partners who participated in co-design circles held in Gauteng, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We are grateful for their time and patience, and for the lands and waters that sustain us all.)