Congratulations to Goodstart Early Learning, Coral Drive, Hampton Park, which celebrated the launch of its First Nations Food Garden (FNFG) on Saturday, 5 April. Local families, children, and community members were invited to the event, where they were treated to lemon myrtle and aniseed myrtle tea, along with scones flavoured with aniseed and cinnamon myrtle—offering everyone a taste of First Nations ingredients.
Karen Sutherland from Edible Eden Design hosted a one-hour Q&A session, sharing her expertise on native plants and their benefits. Children were also invited to help with the planting, which they loved.
Centre Director Shweta said, “The FNFG is an opportunity to teach children how to care for their environment, understand where food comes from, and see how looking after nature supports habitats for native animals and bees. We also want to raise awareness of First Nations cultures and connection to Country.”
In partnership with our Health Promotion team, the service secured a 2024 community grant from the City of Casey to support the garden’s development. The FNFG is one way the service embeds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures into its curriculum and creates meaningful opportunities for children to connect with Country.
This initiative also builds on the service’s work through the Achievement Program. With support from our health promotion team, it uses a whole-of-service approach to embed health and well-being into everyday practices.