Looking at Alfred Cove through a different lens
18th April, 2019
Excited by the chance to learn more about the Noongar season of Bunuru, 60 participants listened intently to Elder Noel Nannup speak about Aboriginal Cultural Heritage on a beautiful sunny morning at Alfred Cove on March 30, 2019.
We were welcomed to Country and learned of the Noongar people’s connection to Noongar Boodja.
His voice carried us to a place of wonder as he explained the strong connection between Noongar people and dolphins, and how they worked with them to fish. We learned a little about Noongar burning practices and the how they used the signs of nature (like dew forming) to manage fire.
The group walked to a fantastic viewpoint over Derbarl Yerrigan (the Swan River) lead by the Swan River Estuary Action Group (SERAG). Volunteers from SERAG and Birdlife WA identified birds on the mudflats and over the open water, encouraging beginners to use the binoculars and the powerful telescope to see the finer details of the many species.
Over morning tea, we shared impressions about the activity and talked with Elder Noel Nannup and Margaret Matassa, SERAG Chairperson. The children shared their feather collections and families enjoyed time together at beautiful Alfred Cove. The current season of Djeran provides a perfect opportunity to visit Alfred Cove and do some bird watching, or simply enjoy wonderful views from along the River paths.
The Bunuru Walk and bird watching activity was jointly coordinated by Perth NRM and SERAG as part of the Noongar Six Seasons Walks – facilitating Country and Culture connections project supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program.
Six events are planned by Perth NRM is partnership with different Friends Groups, one for each Noongar season, to encourage more people to become engaged with their local environment and gain greater appreciation for it, from an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage perspective, in addition to that of natural resource management.
