Clouds build up, fruits flower, Indigenous… | Bush Heritage Australia Skip to main content
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Milky Plumb fruit in hand. Photo Julia Salt.

When you think of the seasons, does Spring begin September and Summer December? Or is it the Wet season starting in November and the Dry in May? Unlike Gregorian or Western Calendars, Aboriginal calendars aren't based on structural time, but ecological time.

Different phases of plant and animal lifecycles, variations in animal behaviours, cloud formations and wind directions can indicate the right time to harvest different plants and foods, and the right time to burn different vegetation. But lately, with climate change accelerating, the seasons aren't always as they used to be.

We take you to central Arnhem Land to learn about the Rembarrnga and Dalabon seasonal calendars, and the community-wide effort to keep their language, culture and country strong.

 

Featuring: Annette Miller (Rembarrnga Elder), Chantelle Miller (Rembarrnga woman), Norrie Martin (Rembarrnga Elder), Katie Degnian (Bush Heritage Ecologist, Dalabon Elder. 

Produced by: Amelia Caddy and Eliza Herbert (Host).

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