The Guula Gimbay program brings together Aboriginal knowledge and environmental education through interactive, hands-on experiences on Country.
Designed for preschool children, the program helps build an early understanding of koalas, their habitat, and the importance of caring for the land.
Learning through culture and play
Over 4 Mondays in October and November 2025, 90 preschool children from across the Hastings−Macleay region joined sessions filled with song, dance, storytelling and creative activities. The program was co-created by Birpai PhD candidate, Arlene Mehan, and guided by Aunty Rhonda Radley, ensuring a rich connection to culture and Country.
Funded by the NSW Koala Strategy, the program aligns with the strategy's focus on partnering with Aboriginal communities and embedding traditional ecological knowledge in koala conservation actions.
Through yarning circles, guided activities, craft and movement, children explored:
- where koalas live and what they eat
- signs of their presence, including scat, scratch marks on trees, chewed leaves and how to recognise koala bellows
- seasonal awareness, learning how koala behaviour changes with the seasons, such as during the spring breeding season
- Caring for Country and Gathang language words
- songs, stories and movement, inspired by koalas.
Celebrating learning and community
The program concluded with a celebratory morning showcase where children shared what they had learned through performances, storytelling and creative activities, attended by more than 120 parents, educators, community members and Aboriginal facilitators.
The success of the Guula Gimbay program highlights the value of interactive learning on Country, guided by Aboriginal knowledge, in connecting children with koalas, culture and caring for the land.
