S5 EP03: Custodians of Country: The Seven R's of Sustainability in Aboriginal Early Childhood Education

In this enlightening episode of Educator Yarns, host Jess Staines is joined by Bec Burch, founder of Bush Kindy Australia, to explore the powerful intersection between Aboriginal perspectives and sustainability practices in early childhood education.

Together, they unpack the seven Rs of sustainability—rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, regift, and recycle—and how these principles can guide educators in teaching children to become mindful custodians of Country.

This conversation delves deep into practical strategies for moving away from wasteful classroom practices towards more meaningful, culturally respectful approaches that honour Aboriginal connections to land.

Bec and Jess share inspiring examples of how natural materials can become rich learning resources, the importance of ethical procurement that supports Aboriginal businesses, and how educators can critically reflect on their environmental impact in ways that respect the traditional owners of the land on which centres operate.

Key Takeaways:

• The concept of "borrowing, using and returning" rather than "taking, making and wasting" provides a framework for sustainable practice that aligns with Aboriginal perspectives on caring for Country.
• Natural materials like fallen leaves, flowers, and branches offer open-ended learning opportunities that manufactured resources cannot match, supporting child-led practices central to both nature pedagogy and Aboriginal approaches.
• Rethinking conventional practices includes questioning whether maintenance routines (like removing fallen leaves and sticks) might be eliminating valuable natural learning resources.
• When using natural materials, educators should consider their impact—for example, covering gum nuts in glitter and glue prevents them from being respectfully returned to Country.
• Sustainability encompasses environmental, social, and economic dimensions, requiring educators to balance all three in their decision-making processes.
• Refusing to purchase from non-ethical sources or businesses that don't equitably remunerate Aboriginal people for their cultural knowledge supports social sustainability.
• Engaging with local Aboriginal community markets and events provides opportunities to procure authentic, place-based resources while building meaningful relationships.
• Many natural materials can serve multiple purposes in play scenarios (leaves as play money, food, or art materials), reducing the need for single-use commercial resources.
• Reducing consumption involves critical reflection about whether new purchases are necessary, as children often engage deeply with minimal materials, particularly in natural settings.
• Reusing and repurposing items (like turning old drawers into garden beds) demonstrates sustainable practices while sparking creativity and problem-solving.

The seven Rs of sustainability offer early childhood educators a practical framework for embedding Aboriginal perspectives into everyday practice, moving beyond tokenistic approaches to deep, meaningful engagement with sustainability principles.

By reimagining our relationship with materials, consumption, and waste through an Aboriginal lens, we can create more culturally responsive, environmentally conscious learning environments.

Take time this week to audit one area of your practice—perhaps your art supplies or outdoor maintenance routines—and consider how you might apply these sustainability principles in ways that honour Aboriginal connections to Country and teach children to become the next generation of custodians.

Access the episode resources here.