Caring for Country Together

2026-05-29T00:00:00Z

Since 2021, Sydney Airport has worked with Wildflower, a First Nations-owned social enterprise dedicated to restoring Country, creating Indigenous green spaces and providing meaningful, culturally safe employment for young people.

What began as a landscaping partnership has grown into a deep, long-term relationship grounded in shared values: respect for Country, care for the local environment, and a commitment to learning from First Nations knowledge and practices.

From the T1 International Arrivals forecourt to the surrounding airport wetlands, and now through hands-on education with local primary school students, Wildflower plays a vital role in shaping how millions of people experience Sydney Airport, Australia’s global gateway.

Roman Deguchi, Co-founder and Director of Wildflower, said:

"When organisations like Sydney Airport choose to work with Aboriginal businesses in a genuine and long-term way, the impact extends far beyond the work being delivered. It creates careers, builds confidence and creates role models for young people who can finally see themselves working in industries where they may never have imagined they belonged."

“Perhaps most importantly, it creates opportunities for Aboriginal people to once again Care for Country, even within our cities. Because caring for Country doesn't stop at the edge of a national park. It happens in our parks, our streets, our wetlands, our transport corridors and places like Sydney Airport,” he said”

Kristen Sweeney, Sydney Airport’s Group Executive, People & Corporate Affairs, said:

"Our partnership with Wildflower is built on respect, trust and the shared belief that caring for Country can also create opportunity. Wildflower’s work supports First Nations youth through employment and training, while helping us bring native green spaces to life.”

A living welcome at the T1 International Arrivals forecourt

The T1 International Arrivals forecourt is often the very first place visitors encounter when arriving in Australia, and the last holiday memory for Aussies returning home. Planted and cared for by Wildflower, this space offers a distinctly Australian welcome, rooted in native plants, culture and connection to Country.

Originally planted during the major redevelopment of the forecourt, Wildflower oversaw the landscaping of 12,200+ native plants, with species selected for their cultural relevance and suitability to the local area.

Today, the Wildflower team continues to care for the gardens year-round, ensuring the space remains healthy, vibrant and welcoming for the millions of international travellers who pass through the forecourt each year.

Roman Deguchi, Co-founder and Director of Wildflower, said:

"Even in one of Australia's busiest urban environments, Country is still here. It always has been. The plants, the waterways, the soil and the ecosystems all tell stories that are much older than any of us. Looking after these places is about much more than presentation, it's about restoring a relationship with Country that Aboriginal people have maintained for tens of thousands of years."

First Nations perspectives were embedded into the forecourt from design through to ongoing maintenance, with Dharawal language and cultural interpretation woven throughout the space in collaboration with the Gujaga Foundation.

Kristen Sweeney said:

“The T1 forecourt is now one of the airport’s most cherished areas for both employees and visitors. Wildflower has helped create a place that feels distinctly Sydney, and distinctly Australian.”

Learning on Country: inspiring the next generation

Wildflower’s impact at Sydney Airport extends beyond land care and into learning. Through Sydney Airport’s School Tours program, local Year 5&6 students are guided through the T1 forecourt by Wildflower team members, learning directly from First Nations land carers about caring for Country in an urban environment.

During these tours, students are introduced to On Country land management practices and the traditional uses of native plants, bringing classroom learning to life through storytelling and hands-on examples. Wildflower educators share how plants have long been used for food, tools and medicine, and how these same species continue to play an important role in sustaining healthy ecosystems today.

Restoring Country to the airport wetlands

Beyond the terminals, Wildflower leads long-term restoration work across the Sydney Airport wetlands, one of the last remaining green corridors in urban Sydney, bordering local communities and schools.

Using a First Nations approach to bush regeneration, the Wildflower team removes Weeds of National Significance, plants thousands of native species, and collects native seeds for future propagation. This work supports increased biodiversity while also creating meaningful training and employment pathways for Wildflower’s crew.

This work has received national recognition, including the Airports Council International Green Airports Recognition Award for Biodiversity and Nature-Based Solutions, acknowledging the strength of the partnership between Sydney Airport and Wildflower in bringing Country back to the wetlands.

Jake Atkins, Sydney Airport General Manager of Environment and Sustainability, said:

“We are proud to be increasing the biodiversity of the wetlands while supporting our partner, Wildflower, in its mission to provide meaningful and culturally safe employment to young people in the First Nations community.”

Over the last three years, teams of Sydney Airport volunteers have joined the Wildflower team, to weed key sections and plant hundreds of native plants to help boost biodiversity.

Learning together through partnership

For Sydney Airport, the partnership with Wildflower is as much about learning as it is about caring for the land. Working alongside a First Nations organisation across highly visible spaces like the forecourt and environments like the wetlands has deepened understanding of how cultural knowledge and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.