National Biodiversity Month

September is National Biodiversity Month in Australia; it’s the perfect opportunity to connect with Country, celebrate the incredible biodiversity of this land, and raise awareness of the crucial role we play in protecting it.

Home to approximately 700,000 species, Australia is one of the 17 countries in the world that is considered ‘mega diverse’ by the United Nations. Since many of these species are not found anywhere else in the world, conserving our remaining biodiversity is crucial, not only for the health of the entire planet, but to maintain stability in the global economy, and to safeguard future generations of people on earth.

First Nations people have been caring for Country and ensuring healthy biodiversity for tens of thousands of years through sophisticated and innovative cultural practices. Country provides the building blocks for our survival, providing food, clean air, water, and shelter. Country also supports our health and wellbeing, as well as our economy, and while we need Country, Country also needs us.

This is something that First Nations people have always understood – as a result, caring for Country is embedded into every part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Supporting healthy plant growth with techniques such as cultural burning, seasonal movement to avoid overuse of land, the way people traditionally collected food, managed ‘waste’, the ‘rule of three’ – all aspects of life recognise the importance of caring for Country.

Today, there is increasing recognition of these important approaches to caring for Country, and significant growth in the number of partnerships between First Nations knowledge-holders and environmental, not-for-profit, and government organisations working together to protect biodiversity. These collaborations unite multiple disciplines, from ancient scientific innovation to cutting-edge technology, and include a wealth of understanding, knowledge and care.

Including activities in your classroom that consider biodiversity from an Aboriginal perspective contributes to caring for Country, too – not just today but also into the future when your students are adults, and potentially leading their own projects and initiatives. It’s like planting a seed for healthy biodiversity well into the future…

Check out the following five ideas to explore this Biodiversity Month from an Aboriginal perspective:

1. Learn about the relationship First Nations people have with Country: check out our Understanding Country lesson to help. It has a curriculum-aligned lesson plan, exclusive video, digital activities and printable worksheets.Continue the learning with one of the many lessons we have that explore caring for Country.

2. Plant a bushtucker garden: investigate what grows in your area naturally and consider why planting those plants is important as well as why they grow in your local environment. Have a yarn about how a bushtucker garden supports local biodiversity.

3. Connect with your local knowledge-holders: invite someone from your local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community to talk about what Country means to them and the things the community do to care for Country.

4. Consider the ‘rule of three’ – learn about the practice of only taking what you need, making sure there is enough left for others and ensuring the continuing health of the species. This practice made sure that there were always enough left for others as well as enough to keep biodiversity healthy. If you are a subscriber, check out our collection of ‘rule of three’ maths resources in the additional resources section of your Wingaru Kids Dashboard.

5. Biodiversity month kicks off on September 1 with National Wattle Day! Check out our ideas for including wattle in your early-learning environment: https://www.wingaru.com.au/blog/5-ways-to-use-wattleseed-in-the-learning-environment

Looking for more ideas for Biodiversity Month? Wingaru subscribers can access a Biodiversity Research Guide in the additional resources section of the platform. If you are not a subscriber and want to see how Wingaru Kids can support you in the classroom, sign up for a free trial account here.