IndigiGrow Sustainability and Education Centre

Eastern Sydney Banksia Scrub once occupied approximately 5,300 hectares between North Head and Botany Bay in the Sydney Basin Bioregion. Today, only 146 hectares of ESBS (less than 3%) remain in small, isolated pockets. Much like the ESBS, indigenous knowledge and practice has been lost to western culture as-well. The project aims to raise awareness of these issues, and act as an example of how to combat the degradation of the ESBS and Indigenous practices.

Thus, the IndigiGrow centre ensures that the cultural knowledge of indigenous people is understood, respected, and protected. It will be achieved by passing down knowledge to young Indigenous apprentices working for Indigigrow, as-well as the wider audience of visitors and tourists. This project is a working model that shows not only urban communities how to live sustainably, but also a scalable model for regional and remote communities. The solution retains culture and increases biodiversity and fauna habitats by replenishing many native species that are important to indigenous culture and the local ecosystem.

This expansion has the potential to regenerate endangered ecological communities by reintroducing endangered ESBS species into their native habitats as guided by Indigenous knowledge. As a centre that showcases sustainability and Indigenous Knowledges, the IndigiGrow Sustainability and Education Centre will respond to the ecology of ESBS, “touch the earth lightly” and maintain the stories of the different peoples in the surrounding Country.