Exploring bush foods in the school setting, looking at their flavours, uses and where they come from, is a great way of introducing children to the vast and diverse range of ways Aboriginal people have utilised and cared for the Australian landscape.

Starting your very own bush food garden at your school or early learning centre is a beautiful way to embed Indigenous perspectives and STEM learning into your outdoor space. It is a great platform on which to engage with your local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community; getting them involved in the planning, implementation and ongoing learning program of the garden is a wonderfully enriching experience. For us, the idea behind a bush food garden is that children are creating a garden that highlights their local Indigenous culture.

Here are our top tips for starting a Bush Food Garden:

Talk to your local Indigenous community. You may even be lucky enough to have a local Indigenous business nearby that specialises in creating spaces like these.
2. Ask children to draw or paint out a picture of what they think their garden should look like. These can be used as inspiration for your garden design and will assist children in taking ownership of their new garden.
3. Do your research. What are the local bush food plants to your area? How do they grow and are they suitable for a garden? Think about what you’re planting in terms of what can be harvested and used by your children and students.
4. Fill your designated garden space with native plants!
5. Use your garden as a special place for outdoor story times or yarning circles.

Bush Tucker in the Classroom