A Community With Birds 

Boorloo📍

This project unfolded through the children’s deepening curiosity about the birds they share their space with. What began as moments of noticing developed into a sustained inquiry as the children explored the many bird species that visit and inhabit their environment. Questions emerged about bird families, with the children making connections to their own family structures, routines, and relationships, often speaking about birds as though they were part of their everyday social world.

As the inquiry evolved, birds became active participants in the children’s play. They were invited into stories, movement, and conversation, becoming not only subjects of observation but also companions to relate with, speak to, and include in daily experiences.

Through close observation and deep listening, the children nurtured wonder, curiosity, and responsive thinking. The inquiry fostered a growing sense of belonging within a shared more-than-human world, where birds became familiar and valued presences in everyday life.

The learning was further enriched through connections with Noongar language, the language of the Traditional Custodians of this Country. As the children learnt the Noongar names and calls of local birds, they engaged with language that carries cultural knowledge, story, and enduring relationships with place.