Where Water Holds Memory: Appreciating Our Wetlands
This month, we’re pleased to share a short film from our collection, “The Swimming Hole,” which gently invites us to slow down and reconnect with the wetlands that shape our landscapes and lives.
Wetlands are often quiet, overlooked places, yet they are among the most life-giving ecosystems in the Wheatbelt. On Ballardong Noongar Boodja, wetlands, rivers and gnamma holes (rock hole wetlands), have always been places of deep cultural and spiritual significance, sustaining people, plants and animals for thousands of years.
Every year on 2 February, communities around the world celebrate World Wetlands Day, recognising the vital role wetlands play in supporting biodiversity, clean water and resilient landscapes. It’s also an important time to acknowledge that caring for wetlands is not new knowledge, it is knowledge held and practised by First Nations peoples over countless generations.
Why Wetlands Matter
Support biodiversity: Wetlands provide habitat for waterbirds, frogs, fish, insects and native plants.
Protect water systems: They filter water and slow flows.
Build climate resilience: Wetlands store carbon and help buffer floods and droughts.
Hold cultural knowledge: They are places where Traditional Knowledge, stories and stewardship continue.
Whether it’s a creek line after rain, a seasonal swamp, or a low-lying patch that comes alive in winter, take a moment to notice the life that springs from wetlands.
Published eNews #411, February 2026