This National Science Week project will engage students from Transition to Year 9 in a hands-on, place-based science program focused on bush medicine and caring for Country.

Working in partnership with Daluk Rangers, students will participate in on-country learning experiences to identify and collect bush medicine that is seasonally available. Rangers will share knowledge about plant identification, traditional uses, sustainable harvesting practices, and the importance of caring for local environments.

Back at school, students will apply scientific inquiry skills by propagating seedlings, repotting plants, and establishing a bush medicine garden that can be used as an ongoing learning resource. Students will observe and document plant features through detailed scientific drawings and labelled diagrams, while also creating simple maps to record where bush medicine species were found.

Digital technologies will be integrated throughout the project. Students will work collaboratively with the Daluk Rangers to produce a short film documenting the process, including on-country activities, plant propagation, and interviews about the importance of bush medicine knowledge.

The project will involve classroom teachers, a Digital Technologies facilitator, and community ranger partners. Activities will be delivered flexibly across National Science Week to accommodate community priorities and seasonal conditions.

By connecting science learning with local knowledge and real-world experiences, the project will increase student engagement in STEM, strengthen community partnerships, and provide meaningful, culturally responsive learning opportunities for students in a remote setting.