diff --git a/.github/workflows/create_test_conda_env.yml b/.github/workflows/create_test_conda_env.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6adb858
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/create_test_conda_env.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+name: create_test_conda_env
+
+on: [push]
+
+jobs:
+  build-linux:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '>=3.9'
+
+      - name: Add conda to system path
+        run: |
+          # $CONDA is an env var pointing to root of miniconda dir
+          echo $CONDA/bin >> $GITHUB_PATH
+
+      - name: Create fre-workflows environment
+        run: |
+          # create environment containing all dependencies
+          # the env cannot be explicitly activated in github CI/CD
+          conda env create -f environment.yml --name fre-workflows
+
+          # add conda env's executables to github's PATH equiv.
+          echo $CONDA/envs/fre-workflows/bin >> $GITHUB_PATH
+
+	  - name: Run unittest in fre-workflows environment
+		run: |
+		  # try to make sure the right things are in GITHUB_PATH
+		  echo $CONDA/envs/fre-workflows/bin >> $GITHUB_PATH
+		  cylc lint -v
+		  cd data_lineage && python -m unittest discover -s test
diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0f4185
--- /dev/null
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+name: fre-workflows
+channels:
+  - defaults
+  - conda-forge
+  - noaa-gfdl
+dependencies:
+  - python
+  - pip
+  - click
+  - pyyaml
+  - pylint
+  - jsonschema
+  - conda-forge::cylc-flow>=8.2.0
+  - conda-forge::cylc-rose
+  - conda-forge::metomi-rose
+  - conda-forge::cylc-uiserver
+  - conda-forge::pytest
+  - conda-forge::pytest-cov
\ No newline at end of file