Environmental connection – more than just a nursery

Helping others appreciate, respect and connect to the natural world – our world – is at the heart of what we do at Otways Indigenous Nursery.

Today, people’s connection to nature is diminishing and we believe it’s critical that we all understand where our water, food, fibre (and plants for that matter!) comes from, as well as the impacts and implications of their sourcing and production.

We’ve come to realise that indigenous plants provide a vehicle for the understanding of and engagement with natural processes and our local environment. Our plants become a source of wonder and appreciation for many of our customers when we share some of the behind-the-scenes processes involved in collecting and propagating many of the plants they see in the nursery.

We believe a sound connection to nature and natural processes is paramount and will lead to better outcomes and a more sustainable future for people and our planet – something that drives us all at Otways Indigenous Nursery every day.

The who and the why of Otways Indigenous Nursery

The team at Otways Indigenous Nursery all love and care deeply for the natural world.

Alongside our work with the nursery we all contribute in other ways to the restoration, protection, education and awareness of our natural world. Whether it be undertaking further studies in a chosen field, growing fruit and vegetables, joining conservation, community and social justice organisations, supporting and assisting environmental campaigns, reading widely or simply engaging others in conversations about the natural world and our part in protecting and caring for it – our love of nature is at the heart of everything we do.

We all live locally and spend time not only working in our local environs, but also enjoying these places too, surfing, hiking, fishing, birdwatching, music, cooking and, of course, gardening and landscaping. Many of us have also completed further studies in a variety of fields including horticulture, conservation land management, environmental science, art and design, even small-scale viticulture, and we all read widely.

In recent years the nursery has been able to offer an adult apprenticeship for the first time. To the best of our knowledge, this is rare in a field which often relies on contractors or casual or transient workers. We believe that this provides many benefits beyond simply growing and selling indigenous plants. It enriches our operation and our community on a variety of levels by creating local, substantive employment and training opportunities.

We believe in the power of books

Knowledge and understanding aid connection and engagement, so in that spirit we have a small range of books available for sale, from local flora, walking and coastal guides to bird books and titles covering Indigenous land-management practices, knowledge and culture. It’s an evolving collection that may be of interest. We stock the AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia too, which is a visual reminder of the richness and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia.

Good people doing good things

While we’re on the subject of engagement and further reading, here are some other like-minded organisations and business that we admire, support when we can and would like to draw to your attention to.

AIDA – Aireys Inlet District Association
Australian Conservation Foundation
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australian Youth Climate Council
Birdlife Australia
Bob Brown Foundation
Bush Heritage Australia
Climate Council
CSIRO publishing
Deadly Science
Environmental Defenders Office
Friends of the Eastern Otways
Greenfleet
Indigenous Literacy Foundation
Landcare
PBS Radio
RRR Radio
SCEG – Surf Coast Energy Group
Surfers for Climate
The Wilderness Society
Trust for Nature
Victorian National Parks Association