Bush Tucker Garden Project

Diana Roggenbucke Smiles 4 Miles Coordinator EACH and Raelene Tie Oral Health Manager at EACH, presented at the First World Nations Early Childhood Conference in Cairns (October 2019) on their Bush Tucker Garden Project work they have been doing in the early years setting.

The theme of the Conference was “Empowering Generation”. The conference is designed to inspire and enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Educators, services and other partners to step up and ensure that the rights and self-determination of the First Nations Peoples are upheld.

EACH’s Oral Health Program was successful in receiving community grants from Maroondah City Council and Knox City Council to support having 20 Bush Tucker Gardens planted in local child services. Bush Tucker Gardens are an interactive way to engage with children around key healthy eating and oral health messages, and cultural appreciation.

The Bush Tucker Garden project ties in with EACH’s Smiles 4 Miles program and aims to expose children to a range of different foods whilst at the preschool/early learning centre and help families to make healthy food choices. A wide variety of nutritious foods in early childhood is important for children’s growth and development and lays the foundation for children’s lifelong relationship with food.

The Bush Tucker Garden project has enhanced children’s understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal culture and has played a pivotal role in increasing the children’s and families’ cultural appreciation, embedding indigenous culture, and improving community connections.

Contact: Diana Roggenbucke, Smiles 4 Miles Coordinator EACH

Topic: Early Years