Braydon Saunders comes from a long line of Gunditjmara story tellers, but for the former tour guide at Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism, telling the remarkable Budj Bim story to Junior Rangers made his heart sing.
With the support of the Australian Government, Braydon has been delivering a program via an Australian Heritage Grant at Parks Victoria as a project officer in the Budj Bim National Park helping visitors experience the extraordinary cultural heritage in the park.
"I have been able to continue many of the initiatives I was involved in at Budj Bim in my role with Parks Victoria. "I'm creating ways for the community to engage with the Budj Bim National Park, through community engagement and storytelling," he said.
"One of the big things my community felt was lacking was a Junior Ranger program in the Budj Bim National Park. Implementing the program this year has been a real success," Braydon said.
The Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation and the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation have run Junior Ranger programs with schools and young people at Tae Rak (Lake Condah) or Tyrendarra, but it had never been done in the national park.
Having delivered Junior Ranger activities in the last three school holidays, Braydon is confident about the programs continued success in the Budj Bim National Park.
"All the kids participate in a Welcome ceremony, which involves gathering leaves for the burning of Cherry Ballart tree."
"We speak about the importance of our spirit being happy and safe in this place and why the smoking of the Ballart will ensure that our spirit is safe, and that it's up to us to keep the spirit happy by thinking of things that make us happy," Braydon shared.
"Then we walk throughout the Budj Bim National Park and stop and talk about native bush plants used for medicinal and ceremonial purposes."
"I talk to them about general safe moving through the bush, keeping your eyes on the ground in front of you but also watching where you're going."
"We speak about how some plants can be poisonous and at what stages we should avoid them. I let them know never to touch a plant, fungus or a stick until they know it is," Braydon explained.
What Junior Ranger families have to say
"Braydon the ranger was simply awesome. He connects with the kids and explains things so clearly. Thanks Braydon, it was an awesome activity for us, and we can't wait to attend more events at Budj Bim."
"Braydon our tour guide at Budj Bim was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, very approachable and was very good at what he does. This visit to the park was just what we needed. Fresh air in the bush"
"Braydon was the perfect person to take this session at Budj Bim, his knowledge was second to none. He was fun, enthusiastic and personable. He really made the session!!"
International Significance
In July 2019, the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list, which recognises the international significance of the landscape and the aquaculture systems.
At least 6,600 years ago Gunditjmara people first constructed extensive, sophisticated aquaculture systems along the Budj Bim lava flow, and many of these systems are still in use today.
The date of the Budj Bim fish traps and channel systems make this ingenious, sustainable engineering feat at least 2,500 years older than the great Khufu pyramid in Giza, Egypt and at least 2,000 years older than Stone Henge.
But how do you convey such a big story, to a younger audience?
"It's hard to do, but first I go into the formation of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape – the eruption of the volcano more than 37,000 years ago. It's very interesting to talk with the kids about the geology of the area. You can see their minds going back in time and trying to imagine sitting there as the lava forms on this mountain side. It's cool, cos that's what I have to do every time I tell the story."
"Then I tell them about the eels, how they live in our waterways, lakes, rivers and creeks and how when they're on their journey out to the ocean, like they do every year, we catch them in the channels we dug through the lava stone. I tell them how we controlled the movement of water to benefit us."
Braydon is already making inroads to expand the Junior Ranger program in the future, with aims for a collaborative program with the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism team and the local Macarthur Primary School.
Braydon aims to build the program by engaging more schools in the region, ensuring cultural appreciation and respect for the landscape continues through Junior Rangers at Budj Bim National Park.
When I'm talking about how important the landscape is, I'm trying to relay my message to the listeners that I feel it's really important to tell the story. That's where my heart exists. In that world of telling that story."
