Nakunbalook Environmental and Cultural Education Centre is a joint project between Wellington Shire Council and Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, providing a facility to host events and learning programs focused on sustainability and culture.

Nakunbalook is a Gunaikurnai name meaning ‘Grandfather Gumtree’, which represents knowledge and place.

The site on the banks of lakes Guthridge and Guyatt in Sale has many families of red gums with high cultural and biodiversity values.

The building plays host to events and learning programs with a focus on sustainability and culture, such as Wellington Shire Council’s Sustainable Living Education Program, environmentally-minded community group meetings, workshops, citizen science pop-up labs and Aboriginal cultural experiences.

Community groups such as Seed Community Garden and Friends of the Sale Botanic Gardens use the facility regularly, as do the centre’s education partners Bug Blitz, TAFE Gippsland, Federation University and Parks Victoria.

Nakunbalook, funded by Wellington Shire Council, GLaWAC and the John Leslie Foundation, and managed by Council, supports two of the priority areas identified in Wellington Shire’s Council Plan 2021-25 – action on climate change and partnering with Gunaikurnai – as well as two goals in the Gunaikurnai Whole of Country Plan – ‘To heal our Country’ and ‘To Have a Strong Focus on Learning’.