Nurturing the Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy this NAIDOC Week

Over the past year, our project officers have been working closely with the children and educators at Murray Bridge Preschool Kindergarten, sharing stories, guiding them in exploring their local environment, and nurturing a deep respect for land, water and culture.

Strength – Learning and caring for Country from the start

The children have participated in a wide range of activities, from searching for aquatic macroinvertebrates with magnifying glasses to meeting Murray River turtles to explore their ecosystems and tasting bush tucker. These experiences have helped them develop not just knowledge of the natural world, but also a deep appreciation for it. Along the way, they’ve strengthened their understanding of Ngarrindjeri culture and Country.

Teaching young children about the environment has been a rewarding journey for both teams. And in truth, the learning goes both ways — the curiosity, creativity and candid remarks from the kids remind us to stay curious, playful, and open. They’re often our greatest teachers.

Vision – Planting seeds for a connected future

Everything starts with a vision. In this case, it came from kindergarten director Shirley Hartman, who imagined a space where children, and the broader community, could learn about sustainability, environmental stewardship, and the culture of the Ngarrindjeri people.

Thanks to Shirley’s leadership, the kindergarten secured funding through a Grassroots Grant to bring this vision to life: the Kringulun Wunyi Ngratun Ngarrindjeri Ruwangk garden — meaning growing and learning on Ngarrindjeri land.

The children have been involved in every step of the process. They’ve explored soil health through the Soil Your Undies project, learned about what ecosystems need to survive and thrive, and helped propagate native seeds to be planted in the spring.

41 kindy children joined in on planting day, helping with both the planting and the creation of signage for the space. They were supported by children from the neighbouring Murray Bridge Community Children’s Centre and young people from the Ngarrindjeri Lands and Progress Aboriginal Corporation Junior Rangers Program.

Legacy – Stewardship for future generations

Through these experiences, the children will have a strong sense of connection to Kringulun Wunyi Ngratun Ngarrindjeri Ruwangk, as well as starting to develop their understanding of the cultural and ecological importance of our local flora. Teaching kids to care for their environment from an early age forms the foundation for lifelong stewardship.

This garden will be a living classroom allowing future generations to interact with our region’s flora and fauna, to build connections and to deepen their understanding of our region’s biodiversity.

Spaces like this one are essential for allowing children and adults alike to learn about local biodiversity, species that are culturally significant as food, medicine and material sources — as well as those that are under threat due to climate change and land use pressures.

This NAIDOC Week, join us in celebrating the strength of our young people, the vision of our educators and community, and the legacy we’re planting together for the next generation.