Healthy Country for Glossy Black-cockatoos

6 September 2022

The Dharawal and Dhurga speaking communities of the Shoalhaven have strong cultural connections to the glossy black cockatoo and its relationship to fire and to songlines that connect to the broader landscape.

'Glossy blacks are a part of the fabric of our dreaming. Healthy Country is built by knowledge of our spiritual connections to our songlines, storytelling and cultural obligations. We are part of the land and all its dreaming.' – Aboriginal Advisory Group, Tomerong 15 July 2022

What is Healthy Country for Glossy Black-cockatoos?

This project is helping to secure a future for glossy black-cockatoos in the Shoalhaven by empowering local Aboriginal custodians to reconnect with fire impacted landscapes. Dharawal and Dhurga speaking communities are building on existing cultural knowledge and values of the species through the project. The project included setting up an Aboriginal Advisory Group (AAG) and coordinating access to all areas where the glossy black-cockatoo is found, which is generating a local understanding of 'glossy Country'. The AAG will support the development of Aboriginal-led actions to look at current and future threats in a healthy Country plan (HCP) for glossy black cockatoos.

The AAG meets regularly in the Shoalhaven to lead the direction of and collate community values to incorporate into the HCP. The development of the HCP includes, but is not limited to, the folllowing:

cultural and intergenerational knowledge exchange in story, language, and lore
on-Country learning, healing, or training to reconnect to and understand glossy black-cockatoo storylines and landscapes
recommendations to land managers and identification of priority actions, what the community wants or areas for rehabilitation.

The AAG will gather community values at a range of local events and project workshops to incorporate into the HCP.

We need your help

Help us to better understand where glossy black-cockatoos are feeding and breeding in the Shoalhaven. Every observation is useful.

Report sightings of glossies or their feed trees via iNaturalist

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