Yirra Miya | Protecting Our Places - NSW Environmental Trust

Connect & Discover

Protect Our Places is a NSW Government Grants Program that aims to empower First Nations communities across New South Wales to have autonomy for caring for Country. This program empowers and provides opportunities for Aboriginal organisations to undertake projects that:

contribute to ongoing sustainable management of significant Aboriginal cultural landscapes in New South Wales
contribute to healthier environments and communities
develop project management capabilities of Aboriginal groups
encourage new collaborations and positive relationships with other organisations, government, and stakeholders.

The Protect Our Places team reached out to Yirra Miya for our help in developing illustrations and branding that connected with the core components of the program, whilst also providing a culturally safe look and feel to ensure that grantee applicants felt aligned with, and understood, the importance of the program.

Gather & Create

Cultural Illustrations

Lauren was very excited to work on another project for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) having already created the cultural illustrations for their Coastal Management guidelines. The Protect Our Places team had a similar vision in mind and wanted the design to illustrate the themes of connection to Country, healing of Land, and providing a safe space for support. Through close collaboration, Lauren created a Cultural Elements package which captured the themes that had been identified whilst also adhering to NSW Government brand guidelines.

When Country is well, so are we

This element represents the Protecting Our Places program, which aims to restore healthy Country. Each component of this element contributes to represent the vast landscapes across New South Wales. A mountain sits at the centre to represent land, but also the journey of the Protecting Our Places program, demonstrating the program’s strength and resilience, as well as its sheer determination to make a positive impact on the environment. Underneath the mountain lie connected watering holes to represent the different bodies of water throughout New South Wales, whether that be oceans, rivers, lakes, or dams. The people surrounding these watering holes represent caring for Country. The kangaroo and emu tracks below the watering holes signify some of the different fauna living on our lands. The sun represents life and warmth, and the importance that the sun plays in our ecosystems and environments, with the stars representing our night skies.

Ripple of Impact

This element reflects the ripple effect of the impact of the Protecting Our Places program. At the centre of the yarning circle is a layer of people that represent the Protecting Our Places program and team. This is a place where their hard work, dedication, and ability to listen, learn, and reflect on knowledge, make the program so impactful. The next layer (working its way out) is reflective of the different landscapes and Country lines of New South Wales – which is made up of many different Countries. The next layer of people signifies the grantees that obtain funding through the program. These people are the experts of their Country and the knowledge holders of cultural protocol. These are the people that are making a positive impact for their communities and are committing to care for their Countries in a way that is respectful and thoughtful. The outer layer of people represents the wider community and the impact of the program across New South Wales as a whole. Overall, this element is reflective of the Protecting Our Places program and the ripple effect from the immediate P.O.P team, through to the grantees, and finally to the wider community.

Cultural Knowledge

This element represents the centuries-worth of cultural knowledge that is behind our people as they care for Country across New South Wales. It highlights P.O.P’s understanding of how vital this information is to care for Country collaboratively. The person symbol is reflective of how, through our people, cultural knowledge, lore, and protocols, we can continue to care for Country and utilise traditional ways of healing.
At the bottom left side of the element are stars to represent that, throughout our time on this land, we are guided by our Ancestors. The different journey lines demonstrate that by working collaboratively, through government, stakeholders, grantees, and community, we can make a positive impact on our environment. The people symbols show our communities’ cultural connections to people, land, and lore. The eucalyptus leaves represent growth, from planting the initial seed of the program, to its current impact and the future impact as it continues to grow.

The connected watering holes represent the sharing of knowledge, flowing from one space to another, to signify the P.O.P resources and information that is shared with grantees, and on to their communities resulting in huge environmental benefit.

Partnerships for Environmental Benefit

This element highlights the importance of having meaningful relationships to create positive change and restore healthy Country through a network of services, stakeholders, and community. These meeting places represent a space where connections can be made, not limited to government bodies, but a wider network reflective of one shared outcome: restoring Country. These meeting places represent government, grantees, and community working collaboratively to learn, reflect, and action their knowledge to contribute to the overall health and wellbeing of our lands. Although the partnerships may not be physically facilitated by the P.O.P program, the program aims to connect like-minded grantees, that service the same lands, to learn more about their Country at an expert level and care for Country in a culturally safe way. This network provides a safe environment for grantees to learn and connect with professionals and provides an opportunity to share knowledge with community. Two meeting places are surrounded with people to represent that to have the biggest impact on our environment, we must work together. The yarning circle with the knowledge sticks represents the vitality of cultural practices and traditional methods for caring for Country. The meeting place with the kangaroo tracks shows that through every stage, the P.O.P program is providing culturally safe and expert information to grantees.

Country

This element represents the impact of the P.O.P program and the vitality of the program in empowering our grantees to create positive change.
There are different Country lines to represent that through connecting and collaborating with First Nations people, P.O.P can provide care and guidance on best practice to care for land.
At the top of the element are stars to represent our skies and the importance of learning about Country, acknowledging that each Country has different cultural lore and protocols to follow.
The connected meeting places represents that across New South Wales there are many mobs that care for our land and to intertwine traditional and modern ways of caring for Country we can make the biggest impact for positive environmental change.
The cross hatching represents our inland Countries, with the kangaroo tracks representing forward momentum, showing that through working collaboratively, grantees are provided the tools they need to move forward to care for Country.

*Cross Hatching in this element has been created by Wiradjuri Artist Leticia Forbes in a collaborative nature with Wodi Wodi & Walbunja Artist Lauren Henry.

Layout Design

Once the cultural elements were completed, Justine was delighted to take on the layout of the POP program guidelines. She met with the POP team and could feel their excitement that their document was beginning to take form, and was inspired by both Lauren’s beautiful illustrations and such a collaborative way of working. Justine observed the NSW Government’s brand guidelines throughout and worked within them to create a stunning document that spoke to all stakeholders.

Share & Embrace

Lauren, Justine, and all the Yirra Miya team are so passionate about this project. To be involved, over several months, with such a worthwhile program and the wonderful P.O.P. team has been a real pleasure. Lauren was honoured to create the cultural elements that tell the story of P.O.P. and its goals, and Justine was completely engaged in providing the supportive design for the finished document. To see the cultural illustrations and layout design, please click below:

Protecting Our Places – NSW Environmental Trust