Seasonal calendar and cooking mullet on the fire

At Tuntable Falls preschool, we have been inspired by the Bundjalung seasonal calendar and have been making our own observations in our environment as the seasons change.

We have had some lovely preschool parents come and share their skills and knowledge to deepen our observations. Kaali, Remy’s Mum, came in to share her knowledge of seed propagation. We collected fruit from the Common Creek Lilly Pilly and the Walking Stick palm, and the children were involved in the process of collecting, processing and sowing the seeds.

In the cultural calendar, late March to the end of May is ‘Mullet Season’. Matilda’s dad Isaac came to preschool and showed the children how to gut, scale and prepare some mullet before we cooked it on the coal fire. The children observed the insides of the fish in the tray as Isaac pulled them out. “I hate all that stuff,” said Koa. Matilda said, “My Dad used our knife from home to cut the fish. He used his hands to pull everything out. I touched the guts. It was cold. “I fish with my Dad sometimes in Bowen. We catch small ones and chuck them back. My favourite part to eat is the eyeballs.”

We will continue to add to our seasonal calendar throughout the year and enrich our curriculum with experiences related to changes and observations of our environment.

By Keely Jones and
Matilda Stone