Cornerstone Christian College Dunsborough students have been learning about Noongar culture and officially opened a six season garden at a ceremony on Monday.
Head of Dunsborough campus Tina King said it was a special day for the students who have been out in the bush observing the change in nature, birds, insects and animals as the seasons changed.
“The children have really grown their understanding of traditional Aboriginal culture, and what amazing knowledge traditional people have about the land,” she said.
Wadandi custodian Josh Whiteland performed welcome to country at the ceremony and said it was amazing for the students to be learning about Noongar culture in childhood.
During his welcome, Mr Whiteland said it was currenly kambarang season, which was a time of celebrating baby birds in their nests and tiny marsupial animals.
It’s also crayfish season, which Mr Whiteland said, would also see lots of fish, dolphins and whales heading South off the coast.
“It is a time when a lot of families would head back to these coastal areas during spring and summer,” he said.
“Following the inland corridors of the coastal paths they would walk together in single file to their camp all the way along this coastline, little brooks and streams that flow into the ocean.
“Today, we still see remnants of those old camping areas.”
Principal Garry Maynard said nature play had been a foundation in learning at the school which had been assisted by having natural bush land around the school.
“We have been lucky to have the input of local Indigenous people to work for us at the college and talk to our students and helping our teachers understand a different way of learning from our environment,” he said.
“The six seasons garden is a visible example of this relationship between us living and working here and our surroundings.”
