Right in the middle of Sydney under the airport flightpath, mangroves are making a comeback. In a microcosm of what's happening at the National level with the Voice to Parliament, the Cooks River Alliance is seeking real partnership with Aboriginal peoples who have connections to the River. I'm working with the Alliance to develop it's first Aboriginal Community Inclusion Strategy. The Wangal, Cadigal and Gameygal mobs are central as the Traditional Custodians. And so are many other Aboriginal people who live and work on the River to protect and recover it. This week Wiradjurri Woman Jen showed me the mangroves at Gough Whitlam Park.
The Cooks River in Sydney is the epicentre of European colonisation in Australia. It flows into Botany Bay where Captain Cook landed in 1788. But testament to First Nations resilience, Kooris maintain strong cultural and spiritual connections to the River and its surrounding country. Their Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has been used to look after it for over 60,000 years.
Lots of recovery efforts are already occurring on the River with community groups like the Cooks River Valley Association bringing people together. But deeper First Nations knowledge and inclusion will help the River make a real comeback and benefit everyone. Find out more here.
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