Our Aboriginal Custodianship Program Coordinator Priscilla Papertalk writes about welcoming NAIDOC Week 2022 with a guided bush walk through the Chapman River Regional Park.
On the 3rd of July 2022, my daughter and I celebrated NAIDOC Week and the start of wild flower season by joining Chapman River Friends on a guided bush walk at Chapman River Regional Park!
I was happy to provide an Acknowledgement of Country to the group.
It was a great turn out! There were 46 participants plus children. For me, seeing the children learning in nature from early ages and growing up around it is what it is all about; educating our next generation.
It’s quite a hike and can take up to two hours, but it is totally worth it. Looking around and feeling the importance of why we need to keep looking after Chapman River made it worth while.
There are signs all around the park, and also plenty of information to take in about Chapman River.
You might not like the birds in our City Centre, but as you walk along the river, you take in the abundance of quietness and the birds chirping away. The trail is also enjoyed by bike riders young and old.
Virginie the CRF Coordinator is an amazing tour guide and you can tell it’s her passion as she informs us of all the plants and animals.
The Chapman River Regional Park is home to over 300 species of native plants, and may even be home to some rare native plants. There are a recorded 300 species of birds, 22 reptiles and 7 frogs! At one point during the walk, my daughter turned to me and said “Mum, it all changes as we are walking! It’s like someone went out and planted all these plants.”
If you want to learn something new, anything about the environment, the next wildlife walk is on Saturday 17 July 3pm – 5pm!
So invigorating to know this gem of the Midwest is still being appreciated by our community of all ages. It all started back in the 1990’s as a Joint project to engage community awareness & protect the park for us all.