BIIK crew

Introducing BIIK – actively caring for Taungurung Country

/in , , , /by

Many people who are familiar with Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) – the recognised Aboriginal Party for the Taungurung Nation – will know that we have two businesses with similar names operating on Taungurung Country. wawa biik (meaning hello Country) is the cultural experiences business offering guided tours on Country led by Taungurung guides and  BIIK is TLaWC’s natural resource management business that is actively healing Country.  BIIK undertakes a holistic approach to heal Country by integrating traditional knowledge led by the Taungurung Community with scientific methods.  Their aim is to revitalise Taungurung Country by addressing the underlying issues of unhealthy landscapes rather than just addressing the symptoms. We chat to BIIK Director Jason Laverty to understand more about the important work they’re doing on Country.

image of brolga flying

Birds of Taungurung Country

/in , , , /by

Where would we be without birds? Not only do they bring happiness and joy to our lives but they provide so many benefits to our ecosystems and are crucial to our survival. Birds are great indicators of healthy Country.  They respond early to any changes to habitats and can give us warning signs about impacts of climate change.  Preserving our native bird species and their habitats is so important.

Birdlife Australia runs an annual Aussie Bird Count to inspire everyone to take notice of our little feathered friends and get familiar with bird movements.  As they say, noticing birds is the first step towards caring about them – and where conservation begins. Here on Taungurung biik we have so many landscape types and therefore so much birdlife to understand and protect. Big shout out to our BIIK crew and all our land manager partners who are actively monitoring the wildlife and restoring vital habitats. Here’s our list of birds and bird related stories you need to know about:

Keys Matchstick Grasshopper

wawa biik congratulates the Euroa Arb on the arrival of their newest invertebrate residents.

/in , /by

The Taungurung community has partnered with the Euroa Arboretum for many years and wawa biik is fortunate to access this special place for cultural education experiences.

The Strathbogie landscapes have been severely altered by colonisation. Ever since the late 1990s when the Euroa Arb started putting native plants back into the degraded soil, they have been driven by a clear and urgent purpose: grow back the bush.  By cultivating healthy grassy woodlands and starting up a native seed production facility, they have been leaders in landscape restoration projects both at the Arb and across the State, creating healthy habitats for wildlife and us humans!  

Now, 30 years on, the team at the Arb are proud to offer their protected grasslands as a refuge for the threatened Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper – a species thought to have been extinct until their rediscovery in 2018. 

One hundred of these endangered grasshoppers have been relocated to the Euroa Arboretum thanks to a recovery trial led by the University of Melbourne, Zoos Victoria, Euroa Arboretum and the Taungurung Land and Waters Council.  With access to tussock grasses and native daisies for food and shelter, it is hoped these grasshoppers will successfully breed to secure their survival.  

Chatting with Bronte Haines who works at the Arb, she says “ I am delighted to welcome the Matchstick grasshoppers to the grounds. This year I notice more insects than I have before. Gum-leaf grasshoppers, Small Grassland Yellow butterflies, and Caper White butterflies are currently enjoying the grasslands. Knowing we are stewards for a threatened species, means we naturally take more species under our wing”.

wawa biik attended the official release of the grasshoppers at the Arb in September.  A lovely, nature-loving crowd of project staff, volunteers, and local community gathered under the picnic shelter with a cuppa and cake to celebrate the big arrival. Kids rattled the grasshopper containers keen to catch a glimpse of these tiny critters.  Zoos Victoria staff generously answered questions and provided educational information to help everyone learn and care about these precious new residents. It was evident just how important this nurtured pocket of Country is for the local community. The release of this grasshopper will hopefully encourage more people to care for this much-loved habitat haven for years to come.

wawa biik offers regular guided tours at the Euroa Arboretum on our wawa Euroa and wawa Euroa wayilak experiences. We will provide our guests with updates about the Key’s Matchstick Grasshoppers on all tours. 

For more information regarding the Keys Matchstick Grasshopper, go to Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper (zoo.org.au)

Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud!

/in , , , /by

Whether you are a First Nations person or a First Nations ally, the 2024 NAIDOC theme is a call to action for us all.  We share a few reflections from our Taungurung community and staff to find out what this year’s theme means to them. Solidarity and passion shows up in many forms, it is what keeps the fire burning.

Taungurung guide and guest sharing a cuppa

10 ways to be a Taungurung ally this National Reconciliation Week

/in , , , /by

It doesn’t matter where you are on your ally journey, all that matters is that you’re on the journey. There are so many ways to be a great ally and it’s important to know that all First Nations communities are different and will have a different perspective on what a great ally is. National Reconciliation Week is a time for allies to stand up and take time for self-reflection, conversations, and meaningful actions towards creating an inclusive and culturally safe society where First Nations’ rights, culture and values are recognised, respected, and celebrated.  

We encourage you to rally up your workmates, family or friends and make a shared commitment to be an ally for the Taungurung Nation.

The first step is taking responsibility for growing your cultural literacy. Here’s how:

Taungurung guide on wawa nagambie tour

Cultural Heritage – “It’s still here and so are we” – a yarn with Jonah

/in , , , /by

Jonah Honeysett is a proud Taungurung /Wiradjuri man of the Nira-balluk clan who considers himself lucky to have grown up knowing about his culture, immersed in his culture, and learning about his culture from his Aboriginal parents and grandparents. It’s Jonah’s strong upbringing and sense of cultural identity that has inspired him to work for his mob and be part of the next wave of Taungurung People passionately protecting Taungurung culture. Jonah works for the Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) as a cultural heritage field services officer and also contributes his passion and knowledge as a wawa biik Cultural Tour Guide.

“It’s not Aboriginal heritage, it’s Australia’s Heritage” – a yarn with Ashley.

/in , , , /by

Ashley Wilkinson is a proud Taungurung man of the Yeerum-Illiam-Balluk clan, which is below the Benalla and Mansfield area. Ash works as a Field Service Officer conducting cultural surveys and is also a wawa biik guide. We yarn with Ash to learn more about his perspectives regarding cultural heritage. It’s well worth pulling him aside for a yarn on our wawa biik tours too as he’s got some great insights to share.

Uncle Shane doing a Welcome Ceremony

Cultural Heritage – an Elder’s perspective (Uncle Shane)

/in , , , /by

As a Taungurung Elder who has worked for his mob for two decades doing cultural surveys, Uncle Shane could probably write a book about what he’s seen and experienced out there in the field. Protecting cultural heritage is core to the work of any Custodians of Country and is a responsibility that is directly overseen by Elders. This is challenging work that can bring both highs and lows as Traditional Owners navigate the bureaucracy to safely locate, document, and protect items that help piece together the story of their People and their Culture, spanning thousands of years. Many people in the wider community know little about Aboriginal cultural heritage to be found anywhere in Victoria; nor their responsibilities under the Aboriginal Heritage Act or the immense work that goes on behind the scenes to retrieve and protect Aboriginal culture for future generations.  In this yarn with Uncle Shane, he helps us to understand how cultural heritage protection works in Victoria. His wish is that we get more people to value Aboriginal cultural heritage just as much as they seem to value the European heritage of Australia so that the Taungurung story and Culture is protected and celebrated.

What is ICIP (Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property)?

/in , /by

Tourism is all about sharing stories and knowledge with visitors. However, when it comes to sharing cultural stories or knowledge (through tourism or art or other forms of expression), there are limitations and cultural protocols that need to be understood and respected by both Taungurung People and those engaging with the content being shared.  

ICIP is something that all First Nations communities are determined to protect. This stems from the devastating impact of colonisation, when First Nations People were separated from their land, their families, their languages, their lores and their way of life, leaving ripple effects still felt today. First Nations people are slowly trying to heal these cultural connections but have never lost ownership of them. They have the legal right to protect their culture and be in control of how their knowledge is used. wawa biik has set out some guidelines to help our visitors understand what ICIP is and remind people of the importance of helping us keep Taungurung culture safe and strong for future generations. This includes seeking permission if re-producing any aspect of our cultural experiences or knowledge for commercial or promotional purposes.

We don’t want these ICIP protocols to deter people from listening, engaging and sharing what they learn with friends and family – quite the contrary, we want you to tell people about your wonderful wawa biik experience but respectfully consider what you share and how you share it. ICIP protocols are about acknowledging the enormous challenges faced by all First Nations communities to protect their culture, and with this comes the extra incentive to deeply listen and learn from cultural stories that are generously shared with you, knowing that the act of listening is also contributing to healing. If you’re in doubt about what you can and can’t share, or have queries about ICIP, please ask us.

View our ICIP protocols and our wawa biik Booking T&Cs for more information.

What an adventure! The wawa biik team delves into the highlights of our first year of operation.

/in , , , /by

February 2024 marks our wawa biik one year anniversary. One year on and we’ve been having a laugh about all the funny moments; thinking back to all the great yarns with our friendly guests and reflecting on the honour of being out on Country doing what we love. It’s no secret that running a successful tourism business is hard work at times and we have overcome some challenges in the past year. But our resilience shines through and we stay focused on the positives of what wawa biik has achieved and will continue to achieve for the Taungurung Nation.  Our team reveals all…..