Garabarra (Kissing Point) is an area of cultural significance to the Wulgurukuba and Bindal Peoples, and this cultural heritage has been recognised in an ethno-botanical trail. NQCC was pleased to offer two small groups the opportunity to walk on this Country with Uncle Russell Butler, who generously shared some of his knowledge with us.

Many of us have spent a leisurely afternoon strolling through the native bushland of Kissing Point, perhaps enjoying time with family or capturing photos of sunsets or birds. These walks offered something different.

Walking on Country is not simply about observing landscapes – it is about being invited into a relationship with them. Through Uncle Russell’s guidance, we began to understand Country as living, full of stories and deeply interconnected with us all.

NQCC's community is teeming with conservationists, environmental scientists and nature lovers. Even so, watching Uncle Russell make immensely strong rope from the bark of an inconspicuous tree, or tasting bush foods we had never noticed before, widened our imaginations. Our knowledge of the natural world pales in comparison to the way Traditional Owners are able to read Country, find resources and understand the cycles of every living thing.

Experiences like this challenge us to rethink what conservation looks like. The depth of ecological knowledge held by Traditional Owners is not only culturally significant – it is essential to caring for Country in a time of environmental change.

Woven through Uncle Russell's good-humoured lessons of bushcraft were stories of a darker nature. The violence, genocide and forced removal of Aboriginal groups from the area is not a distant history, but a relatively recent one. Seeing how closely people’s lives were intertwined with their local landscapes, the impacts of removal from Country and destruction of the environment by colonisers are difficult to fathom.

Truth-telling feels more important than ever, and the weight of this local history sat with each of us as we listened and learned. Then, as if to remind us of the resilience, generosity and enduring humour of our elders, Uncle Russell had us laughing – biting into a green ant that promptly bit him back on the lip.

We are deeply grateful for Uncle Russell’s generosity in sharing knowledge that is held, protected and passed down with great care.

With this learning comes responsibility – to listen more deeply, to respect cultural authority, and to ensure that First Nations voices are centred in decisions about land and water.

NQCC is committed to continuing to learn from and work alongside Traditional Owners, recognising that caring for Country must be led by those who have cared for it for tens of thousands of years. We thank Uncle Russell, everyone who participated, and Max Lenoy for fostering this important partnership. We look forward to strengthening and broadening our First Nations partnerships, and we hope you will all be part of that journey with us.