Introduction
What if there was a water-focused skills pathway that could be delivered on Country, that unlocked more First Nations-led projects, community mentoring and employment in the regeneration of land and waterways?
This idea has been taking shape through the Institute’s collaborations with groups like Back to Country, North East Wiradjuri Company, Noongar Land Enterprises, Darrunda Wajaar Rangers and Minyumai Land Holding Aboriginal Corporation. And indeed, Mulloon Institute has aspired to support Country-centred water stewardship since its founding, a vision that reflects the significance of Tony Coote’s friendship with Yuin elder Uncle Max Dulumunmun Harrison.
With funding from the Natural Heritage Trust’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program, we have embarked on a co-design journey to realise this vision with Wiradjuri, Yuin and Gumbaynggirr custodians in 2024-2027. Learning activities out on Country will interlink with custodial and cultural practices and traditional knowledge unique to that local context. There will be camps, workshops, skills videos and practical projects. Digital mapping, reading water’s path and cycles through Country, healing eroded areas with natural infrastructure, water quality testing and monitoring will all be part of the skills pathway. The project’s additional goal is to create a bridge to enable nature repair funding to reach more First Nations-led initiatives on Country.
The Institute is thrilled to play our part reconnecting culture, community, and water stewardship for the benefit of land and people. We are grateful to our partners for their trust and collaboration in this work.
You can learn more about the vision informing the project in this blogpost.
This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.
