Muli Muli is an Aboriginal community located between Woodenbong and Urbanville, at the north-west edge of the Northern Rivers. With a population of around 200, the community retain their traditional links to the land and the Githabal language is still spoken.

Regional isolation, health issues and lack of transportation can be challenging for many who live there. By establishing a community garden, the community of Muli Muli, working with the Aboriginal Ladies Corporation and Kyogle Family Support Services (KFSS), hoped to address some of these issues, through creating a safe and informal meeting place where community members can connect and share traditional knowledge.

Thanks to a NRCF Community Grant, the team at KFSS were able to purchase gardening and personal protective equipment to support this project. Activities now taking place in the garden include planting of traditional and edible foods, maintaining the communal garden space, cooking and recipe sharing. This encourages important life skills, such as teamwork and establishing a healthy diet through the provision of fresh food.

Like many projects in 2020, the community had to adapt to Covid-19 restrictions when implementing the new garden beds. Ladies from the Ladies Aboriginal Corporation held a special meeting to arrange the project and were able to oversee the planting and monitoring of seedlings, along with the purchase of bush tucker trees.

“With challenges brought on by the pandemic, it was wonderful to see the community working together and being proactive in organising members in shifts to monitor the project,” said Jacqui Barton, Manager at KFSS.

“Although there were numerous restrictions during the period, the raised garden beds were installed, and many community members were still able to start growing seedlings on a roster type basis,” she said.

“Having this common place in the community, created by the community, is important for people to come together and support one another. This goes a long way in connecting community members across all generations and helping to improve community wellbeing.”

“And the whole community will benefit from the fresh produce that has been planted. The community have already been very appreciative of the fresh vegetables that have been grown,” said Jacqui.