Forestview Community Kindergarten has opened a bush tucker garden, providing an open space for children to learn about culture and the environment.
Forestview has worked in partnership with local corporation Girdarjil to ensure its bush tucker garden had all the aspects and local insights behind it to provide the most beneficial educational experience for the children.
The garden aims to provide an understanding of how plants can be used in everyday life, including eating different local fruits.
Co-director and teacher at Forestview Community Kindergarten Louise Stellard said that the opportunity for children to experience bush tucker was an important aspect of learning about first nations people.
“We have installed a bush tucker native garden and learning space for the children and for families and parents to engage with,” Ms Stellard said.
“The connection with Gidarjil was really important for us as we have been working with them for a long time.
“We hoped they could bring their knowledge and cultural understanding of the local animals and plants to us to educate the children and the families.”
The children are in the bush tucker garden area daily, learning everything from where the plants grow to what can and can’t be eaten.
“There are so many benefits from this space, it is a space where we come together every day and we do our acknowledgement of country and we talk about being the caretakers of our space here and of our town and our community,” Ms Stellard said.
“It is also a chance for them to learn about each of the plants and why they are so important, what bush tucker means and where we can find that in our community.
“We also do a lot about conservation with the children as well.”
Gidarjil Development Corporation staff member Crystal Jones said it was great to be involved in the planning of the bush tucker gardens to educate the younger generations.
“We got to teach the kids about a lot of bush tucker plants as well as where they can plant the plants and how to use them for day-to-day living,” Ms Jones said.
“It was quite interesting teaching them about that area of the first nations people.
“I hope that they get an idea of how to use plants, what they can be used for and just showing them that there is a lot that you can do with bush tucker plants.”
The bush tucker garden was funded through the Federal Government’s Communities Environment Program.
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