Anastasia Vickers, a Ngadjuri Woman,Western Sydney University student and native garden consultant (left) with Blaxland High School students Reggie (middle) and Izzy (right) who helped plant some of the native species.
Story and photos by Ben Skinner
Led by First Nations students and community, Blaxland High School has established a native food garden and students are using crops grown in the garden as ingredients in food technology classes. The school received injections of expertise from many quarters, including an Aboriginal-owned social enterprise, to learn about and embrace the use of native plants for cooking and sustainability.
Key Points:
Blaxland High has introduced a native food garden on the school grounds.
The ingredients from the crops are used in food technology classes.
It took a collaborative effort from the school, consultants such as Anastasia Vickers from Western Sydney University, Food Futures and EM-power Foundation to make this happen.
Only a stone’s throw from the food tech classrooms at Blaxland High, a collection of native plants are ready to pick. Students harvest the traditional ingredients and add them to their dishes. It doesn’t get any fresher than that!
The native food garden program was embraced by school principal Emma Le Marquand and supervised by Anastasia Vickers, a student at Western Sydney University who is completing an Advanced Bachelor of Food Science. With assistance from Aboriginal-owned social enterprise Bush to Bowl and Food Futures Company, dozens of native species were planted in various locations around the school.
One of the areas where the native crops were planted within the school, using previously under-utilised garden beds.
Over 30 students were involved in planting on the day in March 2024, with local Aboriginal elders in attendance.
Signs providing information about the native plants were made by the school’s industrial technology department and guided by First Nations Food Companion, a book by Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan.
The program made use of the previously under-utilised garden beds that were constructed in years past. Native plants included “Goongum” (plum pine), “Panaryle” (River Mint), Warrigal (like Spinach) and Tyulern (saltbush). (NB. Native plant names vary depending on whose Country they’re on.)
Some of the native plant species with associated signs made by Blaxland High School industrial technology department.These traditional plant names have been researched and collated from First Nations authors and online resources.
It appeared to be a great learning experience for all involved.
Anastasia says the program inspired students to make a real change in the world.
“Native foods have relevance across any career the students are interested in,” she says. “Community members and students had the opportunity to learn together, led by Culture in a genuine way.”
Food technology teacher Megan Backers says you often have to adjust your techniques when cooking native ingredients compared to working with the produce bought in supermarkets.
School principal Emma Le Marquand collaborated with the Food Futures Company and EM-power Foundation who led the native garden program.
“This invaluable program has provided students with hands-on, real-world experience in a range of curriculum areas as well as developing the confidence and knowledge of our committed teaching staff,” says Principal Le Marquand.
The plants are often very powerful flavour-wise: a nibble of native thyme is reminiscent of some toothpastes, while rubbing together native citrus leaves brings out a potent aroma.
Principal Le Marquand mentioned that it’s important for students to learn about our natural heritage to understand how to live sustainably. Native crops tend to be hardier than crops originating from other countries too.
Previously unused areas within the school are now productive native food gardens.
The gardens are maintained about once per week, requiring some weeding. Mulch will help with reducing that workload.
None of the learnings about the native plants came from the NSW Department of Education syllabus. It was a collaborative effort from the parties involved to figure out how best to deliver the program.
The native garden is just the first step in a long-term learning experience about how to incorporate native ingredients across the curriculum.
Teacher Megan Backers welcomes the move for new First Nations-related units to be introduced in the 2026 food tech syllabus. Ingredients are already being used in recipes and will also be used in STEM/Science-related experiments.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Lower Mountains and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging as we live, work and play on Dharug and Gundungurra Country (Ngurra).
Take Action:
Check out the First Nations Food Companion book by Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan which proved very useful to the school in providing information on native plants.
Experiment with native crops in your garden like Blaxland High has done. Visit local native nurseries which supply them.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
You can now read the latest Planetary Health newsletter here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/41u8ftQ
Lots of great stories, events and videos! You can subscribe via the Planetary Health website (link in profile): https://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/
This year, the Australian Bushfire Building and Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management conferences are joining forces with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative for Full Cycle 2025, to increase collaboration across sectors, from design to disposal. This vital conference and community expo will explore approaches to reducing risks in a changing climate: from multi-hazards like fire, flood, heatwave and extreme humidity, to hazardous materials like mould, microplastics, PFAS, asbestos and engineered stone. Registration will be live in the coming weeks. In the meantime, visit the Full Cycle 2025 website for more information and to sign up to the mailing list (link in profile) https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
Yesterday the community gathered to celebrate Sister Jacinta Shailer`s 98th Birthday! Earlier this year at the Planetary Health Centre she urged us all to join a revolution centred in the transformative power of love, by joining heroic communities that foster compassion, justice, care of the needy, creative imagining, ways of life-giving thinking, ways of contemplating the wonders of our world in the small and the large, the weird and the wonderful. Watch an excerpt of her speech here or read our full story published earlier this year in Katoomba Area Local News (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/create-heroic-communities/
Council is calling on the community to contribute to the development of a Community Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan (CCRAA). There will be a Community Climate Risk and Adaptation Workshop on Saturday 30 August, from 10am to 1pm at Springwood Sports Club, followed by lunch.
You can also contribute by completing the online survey before 29 August.
Your knowledge and experience are critical in helping identify local risks, priorities and practical solutions. Many in our community are already taking action, and these stories, along with diverse perspectives, will help shape a more resilient future for the Blue Mountains.
We encourage you to attend and share the event with your networks to help ensure every voice is heard.
Places are limited for the workshop, so register early here (link in profile): https://climateriskworkshop.eventbrite.com.au Complete the survey here (link in profile): https://yoursay.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/community-climate-risk-and-adaptation-plan-community-survey
The development of this plan is being funded by the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grant Program.
This video captures the most moving speech at the Peace Symposium: that by journalist and teacher Harumi Hayakawa, who described the true horror and tragedy of nuclear weapons. She went on to describe how, after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the people of both cities dedicated themselves to peace building from the grassroots. Small yet courageous actions by these individuals have reached and changed countless lives in the world. After her presentation, Harumi taught families at the Community Peace Picnic how to fold paper cranes.
At the Peace Symposium, Rotarian Jennifer Scott AM outlined how Rotarians around the world are taking action for peace: from providing mental health first aid in our local community to working for social and environmental justice on a global scale. You can watch an excerpt from her presentation in this video.
In his opening speech for the Peace Symposium Dharug man Chris Tobin shared a Dreamtime story about the Waratah, which emerged from a bloody conflict as a symbol of reconciliation.
@mark_greenhill_oam, Mayor of the City of Blue Mountains, welcomed participants to the Forum: Ban the Bomb, Sign the Treaty at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium. As a signatory of Mayors for Peace he spoke of the urgency to act to prevent nuclear war and to end the genocide in Gaza.
The Peace Symposium was organised to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
You can watch our full playlist of videos for Making Peace on our YouTube channel (link in profile): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kODwpPinQx4&list=PLBu_QF9Pp5hPoaLWW0ZLHhwS6hPd-x-Rl
View Ecopella`s rousing anthem `You`re Needed Now!` They performed it at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium on the eve of the March for Humanity and the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Contact them if you`re interested in joining the choir which has branches around Eastern NSW.
If you`d like to hear the other presentations at the Symposium visit the Planetary Health YouTube channel (link in profile)
Renowned Permaculture teacher and Katoomba resident Rowe Morrow has been a Quaker for 40 years. She spoke at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium about the extraordinary work Quakers have done, and are doing, for Peace, and the strategies they`ve developed: from working to abolish slavery, to being instrumental in starting Oxfam and Amnesty International, to training communities in non-violent communication and conflict resolution, conscientious objection, direct action, divestment strategies and more. You can listen to her discuss these in her presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kODwpPinQx4&t=5s
This week President Trump gave an order for two nuclear submarines to proceed towards Russia. This act was the starting point of Robert Tickner`s talk at the Forum: Ban the Bomb, Sign the Treaty in the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium yesterday.
This week marks the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and, as ICAN Ambassador, Robert Tickner helped launch ICAN`s Week of Action for Abolition at the Symposium. You can listen to his full talk in the video below or view it on YouTube via link in profile:
Blue Mountains City Council’s Planetary Health Initiative is working in collaboration with the Mountains Community Resource Network, Lithgow City Council, Western Sydney University’s Lithgow Transformation Hub, and the Sustainability Workshop, to establish this communications platform on behalf of the community. It is supported by a grant from the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) which is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Julie Nance invited her 82-year-old mum to join her on outings in Lower Mountains parks, after months of being confined to home due to sickness. With fond memories of family picnics growing up, their quality time together in nature gave them both a much-needed lift.
