Tucker Bush Schools Program

If you'd like more information, please register your school at the end of this page

Why a Bushfood garden?

Did you know that Australia is home to thousands of native edible plant species? Yet most of the food we grow in our backyards today originally came from overseas. Despite having sustained generations of Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years, our native bush foods still come second to exotic plants.

We started Tucker Bush with a dream of bringing this land’s unique flavours back into the mainstream, so future generations can remain connected to a rich and vibrant history. We want to see a cultural shift towards a sustainable ecosystem, a secure and diverse food supply, and happier, healthier humans.

How students benefit from Tucker Bush gardens

  • Developing “nature smarts” from an early age through first-hand experiences.
  • Strengthening their understanding and awareness of food and biodiversity.
  • Practising teamwork, communication and critical thinking skills in an interesting setting.
  • Getting hands-on learning opportunities outside the sedentary classroom environment.
  • Learning about plants, soil, water, pests and beneficial insects.
  • Eating native herbs and veggies they’ve grown themselves.
  • Experiencing local First Nations culture.

See what others are saying…

“Thank you so much for providing us with so much fabulous information and to Shelley for her gentle and informative presentation to all our little kindies.

They were very excited to share what they had experienced. I saw them whilst I was on duty, showing their friends and peers from the other groups what they had planted. I know that some of them will be definitely inspired by this simple introduction to the benefits of these amazing plants that provide us with such a variety of uses.

By the time these little ones are in Year 6, we will have introduced so many more varieties suitable for each of the seasons, and they will then know so much more and become better connected to boodja.

Warndjoorap!”

Kerry King

Infant Jesus School ‑ Morley

“Thanks so much for this information. I just wanted to say another huge thank you for today! We all thoroughly enjoyed the incursion and loved learning all about the various plants and what you are able to do with them! It was a brilliant incursion enjoyed by kids and adults alike!! ”

Michelle Dodds

Two Rocks Primary School

“Thank you for a wonderful morning, the students thoroughly enjoyed both sessions. You were both so knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging.

The children were excited to learn about the interesting and beautiful Tucker Bush plants that you introduced us to and have since been eager to work on caring for our new Tucker Bush garden space. We will certainly be continuing our learning journey since being so inspired!

What an amazing programme you are running.”

Holly Peterson

West Coast Steiner School

“Mark from Tucker Bush shared his knowledge with a group of student representatives from Pre-Primary to Year 5. They enjoyed learning about the Tucker Bush plants and how we can use them in the future for food, medical and other purposes. They worked in big buddy/little buddy pairs to plant their seedling into our Bush Tucker garden. Mark left them keen to learn more.”

Judith James

Applecross Primary School

“They were both so warm, patient and engaging with our koolangka. We are very much enjoying observing our new garden thrive! Students and teachers who participated in this culturally enriching incursion were all left with koort djoorabiny (happy hearts).”

Fern Vallesi

Year 1 Teacher

“The students really enjoyed yesterday’s incursion. The teachers made comments to me about the fact that the kids were still talking about the plants when they got back to class, which is an indication of their interest level. Thanks again.”

Anita

East Kenwick Primary School

“The incursion was awesome- the kids loved it! Very positive overall and I liked how involved the children were and that they were given information prior to planting.”

K Nanon

Year 4 Teacher

Watch our demonstration video to see why we need this program

“I really enjoyed working with a small group to plant the bush tucker plants. I liked following the procedure that was needed to ensure they were planted corrected.”

Benjamin

“My hands got so dirty from planting the bush tucker plants and I really enjoyed it.”

Lachlan

“I liked working as a team and learning about all the different types of bush tucker plants. I thought we all worked really well in creating a beautiful space for the school that links with Aboriginal Culture.”

Elizabeth

For More Information Please Register

If you would like to find out more, or to see if your school could participate, then please register below.

Once you register your interest below…

 

  1. You’ll be sent an email to confirm your registration.
    (If for any reason you don’t receive this email & you’re not already subscribed to the Tucker Bush mailing list, then let us know).
  2. You’ll also be redirected immediately to a form where we can collect more information about your school, in order to send you the correct information pack.

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