Karo Consultancy

10/06/2025

Makuru (June - July)

The Noongar season 'Makuru' is the coldest and wettest time of the year in South West WA, with rainfall starting to fill the waterways and catchments. Traditionally, people moved back inland from coastal areas, with winds from the south and west bringing cold conditions.

Food sources changed from the sea, estuarine and lake foods to land foods, such as the 'yongar' or kangaroo, which not only provided meat, but also 'bookas' or animal skin cloaks for warmth at night-time.

Makuru is the time when many animals begin pairing up in preparation for the coming breeding season. You may notice pairs of 'wardong' (Ravens) or 'mali' (Black Swans).

This season is represented by the colour dark blue and reflected in the blues and purples of the Blueberry Lily (Dianella revoluta) and Purple Flag (Patersonia occidentalis). Towards the end of the season, the white flowers of the Weeping Peppermint (Agonis flexuosa) will appear, leading into the season of Djilba.

(Credit: Edith Cowan University)

26/05/2025

25/05/2025

HBF Run for a Reason for 2025 done and dusted! Thank you to everyone who donated to my fundraiser for FISH - Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health. I appreciate your support ❤️

22/05/2025

Today I did my final training run in preparation for this Sunday’s HBF Run for a Reason.

There’s still time to donate to my fundraiser to support FISH - Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health. Any amount, small or large, will help me reach my fundraising goal.

To donate, please follow this link: https://runforareason25.grassrootz.com/foundation-for-indigenous-sustainable-health-fish/kathryn-johnson

Thanks for your support 😊

07/05/2025

Thank you City of Cockburn for hosting today's Heads Healing the Land/Kaat Koyingkeriny Boodja-k - Community Science Conference, supported by Perth NRM, SERCUL and the Parks and Wildlife Service, Western Australia.

As we know, Noongar Boodja in south-west WA is a biodiversity hotspot, particularly the greater Perth area, and today's conference highlighted the importance of implementing solutions based on collaboration, innovation and inclusivity to halt further ecological decline.

From Professor Kingsley Dixon's discussion of local ecosystem decline and strategic restoration, to David Broun sharing the successes of the Ngaparrtji Ngaparrtji Two-way Science Program, through to Dr Renee Young encouraging a knowledge-driven landscape restoration approach that will achieve ecological, societal and economic benefits, to finally the breadth of on-ground knowledge and experience shared by Perth-based Landcare volunteers, we are well placed to work together to develop innovative partnerships to keep Country healthy and community and Culture strong.

Let's keep this conversation going - there is lots to be done and great collaborative opportunities ahead.

22/04/2025

Look what arrived today! 👀

I’ve chosen to Run for a Reason to raise funds for FISH - Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health. FISH seeks to bring healing to the spirit, heart, mind, body and land to help create healthy people and communities.

If you’d like to show your support, please donate via the link below👇

https://runforareason25.grassrootz.com/foundation-for-indigenous-sustainable-health-fish/kathryn-johnson

All donations, big and small, will help FISH continue to bring about sustainable health for First Nations peoples through community-based programmes providing learning experiences in life skills, personal development, education, training, employment and creative initiatives.

“When you give someone a fish you only feed them for a day, but if you teach someone to fish you feed them for a lifetime.”

Thank you 😊

17/04/2025

Media statement: A Stronger Whadjuk, Built to Lead.

16/04/2025

It was great to be able to assist Susannah Brook Catchment Group Inc. yesterday afternoon with w**d mapping in Susannah Brook Reserve, Gidgegannup, on Whadjuk Noongar boodja. This work is helping these volunteers assess the effectiveness of current w**d control efforts and plan for future works.

Invasive species identified included Narrowleaf Cottonbush (Gomphocarpus fruticosus), w**d grasses such as Perennial Veldt Grass (Ehrharta calycina), Paspalum (Paspalum dilatatum) and Kikuyu (Cenchrus clandestinus), as well as larger woody w**ds not native to SW WA such as Flinders Range Wattle (Acacia iteaphylla), Casuarina cunninghamiana and River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis).

SBCG has done incredible work over the last 20+ years revegetating this section of Susannah Brook, a culturally significant waterway and important wildlife corridor. Their revegetation success is evident through the diverse array of birdlife inhabiting the reserve, including the beautiful Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso) that we were privileged to witness foraging on Marri (Corymbia calophylla) which had previously been planted by the group ❤️

Thanks SBCG for the opportunity to work with you and keep up the great work! 👍

14/04/2025

A huge shout out to FISH - Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health for the incredible work they do to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people break intergenerational cycles of trauma, avoid (re)engagement in the justice system and contribute positively to society ❤️

One example is their Myalup Karla Waangkiny Healing & Justice Initiative, a program that will see the construction of a multi-purpose community facility with a focus on healing, education, justice rehabilitation and Aboriginal social enterprise, making the program economically self-sustaining.

Please read their post which illustrates why support services provided by FISH are needed and meaningful. And if you like to show your support to this amazing organisation, please feel free to donate to my HBF Run for a Reason fundraiser via the link below👇

https://runforareason25.grassrootz.com/foundation-for-indigenous-sustainable-health-fish/kathryn-johnson

10/04/2025

Djeran (April – May)

The Noongar season ‘Djeran’ brings an end to the hot weather of Bunuru, with cooler nights, light breezes and dewy mornings.

Djeran sees the red flowering gum blossom and flying ants emerge to feed on the nectar of Banksia species, along with birds and mammals.

Traditionally, seeds of the zamia were carefully prepared to remove their toxicity, then roasted or ground into a flour to make bread or cakes. Other foods at this time of year included root bulbs of bulrushes, fish, frogs and turtles.

During this season, Noongar people migrated from coastal areas inland, and as the season progressed, cooler, rainy days meant that traditional mia mias (houses or shelters) were repaired to ensure they were waterproof and were facing the right direction in readiness for cold Makuru.

(Credit: Edith Cowan University and Reconciliation WA)

07/04/2025

What a great citizen science experience it was to participate in BirdLife Australia’s Great Cocky Count yesterday evening out on Whadjuk Noongar boodja at Wooroloo 🌙✨

This annual count is used to estimate Black Cockatoo numbers, population trends and identify key habitat. The data also helps to identify changes, such as population declines 📋

Black Cockatoos are faithful to a subset of roost sites, and whilst there were no Black Cockatoos that chose to roost at our site on this occasion, we could hear Ngoolark (Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos) nearby and there was evidence of Karrak (Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoos) visiting this site which plenty of destroyed marri nuts on the ground 👍

This is important information to capture - it’s just as important to know that there’s no birds at a site as it is to know there are birds present ✍️

Thanks Birdlife for the opportunity to get involved in this important survey to help keep Country healthy💚🌳

06/04/2025

Up and about on a Sunday morning training for HBF Run for a Reason, aiming to improve my health and fitness and fundraising for FISH - Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health to help improve the health and wellbeing of others 🏃‍♀️💪❤️

I’d love your support to help me reach my fundraising goal. Any donation amount would be greatly appreciated. The link to my donation page is below👇

Thank you! 😊

https://runforareason25.grassrootz.com/foundation-for-indigenous-sustainable-health-fish/kathryn-johnson