Built on mutual respect, shared learning and genuine collaboration, the partnership has helped strengthen environmental restoration, cultural knowledge-sharing and community connection across East Gippsland.

Together, the organisations have developed projects that blend traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary landcare practices, creating stronger environmental, cultural and social outcomes across the region. 

Their work has supported habitat restoration, seed collection, biodiversity conservation and community education while ensuring Aboriginal knowledge and perspectives play a central role in caring for Country. 

The partnership draws on Moogji’s nursery and bushbank operation, which supplies locally indigenous plants and seed to restoration projects across East Gippsland, helping support biodiversity recovery while preserving locally collected seed for future generations. 

The collaboration proved particularly valuable in the aftermath of the Black Summer bushfires. 

Working together, Moogji and Far East Victoria Landcare supported rare plant seed collection and propagation projects, helped establish community seedbanks and contributed to the preservation of culturally significant and critically endangered species.

They also played an important role in restoring glossy black cockatoo habitat, collecting seed from local black sheoak populations and propagating more than 6,000 plants to help rebuild critical feeding habitat across the region. 

Partnership projects extend well beyond plant production. Moogji staff regularly work alongside landcare volunteers on revegetation programs, wetland restoration, weed management projects, biodiversity recovery initiatives and Firewise demonstration gardens.

The combination of local environmental knowledge, cultural understanding and practical restoration expertise has strengthened outcomes across numerous projects and helped broaden community understanding of Indigenous land management practices.

Education and community engagement have become defining features of the collaboration. School groups, landcare members and community visitors participate in nursery tours, cultural learning activities and on-Country experiences that promote two-way learning and cultural exchange. 

These activities have created opportunities for people to learn about Aboriginal connections to Country while strengthening relationships between First Nations and non-indigenous communities. 

Over the past five years alone, the partnership has supported more than 150 landholders and community members and contributed more than 20,000 indigenous plants to landcare projects. Just as importantly, it has demonstrated the value of genuine collaboration in environmental stewardship and community development.

“This partnership brings passion, cultural knowledge, skills and love of Country into landcare,” Far East Victoria Landcare Facilitator Josh Puglisi said.

“Collaboration strengthens cultural awareness, enriches environment and demonstrates the value of genuine partnership.”

By placing Aboriginal leadership, knowledge and participation at the heart of environmental restoration, the partnership between Moogji Aboriginal Council and Far East Victoria Landcare provides a powerful example of what can be achieved when communities come together to care for Country.