Djaara up for enviro award

DJA Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, also known as Djaara, are finalists in the 2023 Banksia Sustainability Awards.

The organisation has been nominated in the First Nations Leading a Sustainable Future category for their forest gardening strategy.

The strategy is known as Galk-galk Dhelkunya, which means to care for/heal many trees.

“The strategy, and forest gardening as a concept, seek to bridge worldviews and present a holistic approach to managing Country within a contemporary context,” said Dja Dja Wurrung Group CEO Cassandra Lewis.

“It was developed from Dja Dja Wurrung traditional knowledge and stories and is deliberately written as an empowering document to introduce land managers to a different and more holistic way of thinking about land management.

“The strategy also aligns closely with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, the global blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future, around which the Banksia Awards are based.

“We are grateful to the Banksia Foundation for promoting innovative sustainable practices and helping to connect people with common goals.”

Formed in 1989, the Banksia Foundation aims to spotlight the work of groups and people in the environmental and sustainability space.