Ngawak Biik Briars Junior Rangers Program - 2026 Indigenous Culture Finalist
A junior rangers program set a target of 20 students. It now has 200.
Ngawak Biik, meaning "Understand Country, Listen to Country" in Bunurong language, is a 90% Indigenous-led program on the Mornington Peninsula, developed by Mornington Peninsula Shire with the Bunurong Land Council after schools and families flagged that First Nations students had few opportunities to connect with culture at school, and that the gap was showing up in attendance. Students learn cultural land management, ecological restoration, bush foods, art and ceremony directly from Traditional Owners, Elders and knowledge holders, on Country.
The growth from 100 to 200 participants in a single year outpaced every projection the Shire had made. Schools report that for some students, Ngawak Biik is the reason they show up regularly at all, and participants have moved into leadership roles of their own, one became their school's Environment Captain, another now runs yarning circles for younger students. Strong interest in conservation careers led to a new pilot VET/VM pathway in Conservation and Land Management with local training provider Eco Skills.
What the Shire has learned: when students help shape the program around their own interests, rather than just attending it, engagement compounds rather than plateaus.
The X-factor is that it doesn't stop at cultural connection. It builds a real pathway from culture to career.
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