Field trip to the Pollack Wetlands

As part of the UN’s Decade on Nutrition, Western Murray Land Improvement Group (WMLIG) with Forestry Corporation, hosted a field trip to the Pollack Wetlands, food and fibre displays and a barbecue for 40 community members.
The visit to the Pollack Swamp Wetlands allowed the community to see first-hand the amazing transformation and rehabilitation of the area from recent watering events, whilst learning about its natural resources.
Environmental Consultants Dr John Conallin and Dan Hutton lead the group show-casing the food and provisions of the Pollack Wetlands. Contributors to the day also included Bio-Anthropologist & Archaeologist, Colin Pardoe and Luke Pearce, Fisheries Manager for the Greater Murray region with the Aquatic Ecosystems Unit.
Indigenous food sources the group encountered were varied and included water ribbon seeds, native gudgeon, turtles and yabbies.
The hour and half field trip was followed by a barbecue at Murray Connect, giving attendees the chance to view food and fibre displays and discuss with exhibitors, Roseanne Farrant and Sonia Robertson. Murray Local Land Services also provided a display to provide some Indigenous information on the area.
The Murray Connect lunch also gave the group the opportunity to sample some of the Indigenous foods. Cooked yabbies, fried battered gudgeon, and water ribbon seeds were on the menu along with standard barbecue fare.
Luke Pearce also showed the group how to prepare the infamous European Carp for the table with many pleasantly surprised with the eating quality. The video of his presentation can be found on the WMLIG website (www.westernmurraylig.org) along with images of the day.
Another native food source on the day was “Murnong”. These tubers from the native Yam Daisy were grown from seed by Luke and brought along to sample.
WMLIG will be hosting similar events in the near future, to allow the community to explore the natural resources our region has to offer and also see first-hand the regenerative local environment work and it’s positive, rewarding results.

Fodder and Fish

Murnong

Luke Pearce came along to the Indigenous Food and Fibre Day with homegrown “Murnong” or Native Yams to sample.
Luke grew these himself from seed from the Yam Daisy plant.
The flavour and texture is similar to a water chestnut with a slightly bitter finish when raw but can be seasoned and roasted giving a flavour similar to Jerusalem Artichoke.​

Considered carp on the menu?

Watch the video of Luke Pearce preparing this exotic pest of the waterways.
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watch Luke pearce prepare carp

Pollack Wetlands Indigenous Food and Fibre Day, 15th December 2021

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