By Tyler Wright
Local group Mums of the Hills has initiated a free weekly bush playgroup for storm impacted Yarra Ranges residents to connect, learn and play after after the June 2021 storm and subsequent tree devastation.
The project, facilitated by Eco Explorers with the help of the Yarra Ranges Council, will commence at Belgrave’s Birdsland Reserve on Monday 18 July and will run until Monday 15 August.
It has been met with eagerness from locals and the upcoming Term Three sessions are already booked out.
But those interested should not be dismayed, as another fully-funded program will be kicking off in Term Four.
“What we did see was a lot of comments from people talking about how their children were struggling with the winds, with seeing the trees down, with their [lack of] willingness to be out in nature following the storms,” founder of Mums of the Hills Belinda Young told the Star Mail in April.
“I was able to put in a letter of recommendation for the council’s funding grant application to help fund these bush playgroups,” Belinda said.
Eco Explorers founder and director Melinda Bito said bush playgroups can help children and families in the storm trauma recovery process and rebuild trust in nature.
“What we want to do is provide a real, a gentle, a safe, and a really welcoming, nurturing space each week where the families can meet; and making those connections with other families through really mindful activities we provide,” Melinda said.
Techniques including using a teddy bear holding a cup of hot cocoa and encouraging children to breath onto the drink, or blowing bubbles to practice breathing, are some of the activities involved in the playgroup.
“It is really about bringing the community together again… where they meet others that have gone through similar experiences, but also they’re meeting outdoors. And so that enables them to heal in nature, and connect to Country as well,” Melinda said.
Early childhood educator and Upwey local Anne Fratini is a facilitator for Eco Explorers bush playgroups and has seen the demand for connection grow after the easing of restrictions in Victoria.
“There is definitely a demand for playgroups at the moment especially because a lot of the kids that are coming through have had no official playgroup experience because of Covid and lock downs; and so for the mums it’s important for them to get connection they haven’t had,” Anne told the Star Mail in April.
“We’re combining that with forming these groups of, usually locals, that come together and they can form their own little community ties,” she said.
“We pretty much focus on sensory play, messy play … we do craft activities, songs and stories, and basically how a playgroup would run, but we do it outside.
It’s about seeing the beauty in what is outside again instead of having that fear response that some [children] are carrying with them at the moment.”
Eco Explorers’ aim is to support children to build their confidence, resilience, and self-esteem through child-led sensory play, hands-on learning and activities that support their physical, social and emotional development.
The organisation has also worked with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities to help connect them to country through songs, stories and activities.
Limited spaces are available in the fully-funded sessions and Yarra Ranges residents are encouraged to book ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
For more information on the playgroups head to https://www.ecoexplorers.com.au/events-programs/dandenong-ranges-funded-bush-playgroup/ or contact Community Recovery Officer Jess Adams on j.adams@yarraranges.vic.gov.au or 0419 569 490.
Eco Explorers also run playgroups throughout the term with spot vacancies, but do cost the participant.
