By Michael Doran
In the aftermath of Black Saturday, a project was germinated at Dixons Creek Primary School that has helped school children across the Yarra Valley and beyond come to a better understanding of what fire is all about.
The Firestick Project, as it was known, was presented by students to the Resilient Australia National School Awards and took out both the state and national first prizes for their work.
A film of their work will be shown at the Victorian State Event Commemoration on Monday 4 February and the book will be read at the Yarra Glen 10 Year Remembrance on Thursday 7 February.
The 2009 fires affected around half of the families at the school, with some children losing their homes. Two parents made the trip to the Northern Territory to learn about indigenous burning practices and news from that trip found its way into the broader school community.
A Wurundjeri Elder, Uncle Dave Wandin talked with students from years 3 to 6 about indigenous burning programs to keep the bush under control through planned burning.
The students were asked to write and draw about their learnings whilst walking on country with Uncle Dave Wandin and their work became the book, ‘Parent Trees are Talking’. In the book are the stories and drawings of the students, which above all else speak of the need to respect and nurture the land.
Teacher Kylie Schabel siad, “Our focus for 2019 is to get the book and its message out to a much wider audience beyond the school community. A lot of the Dixons Creek families have taken it onboard and we hope to reach others so they can do the same.”
The books are available across Eastern Regional Libraries in the Yarra Ranges and at schools in the Maroondah, Knox and Yarra Ranges council areas.
