On Larrakia Country at Bagot Community during the school holidays, laughter, learning and the smell of food on the fire filled the air as Shannon Motlop spent the morning sharing bush food knowledge with local children, families and community.

The workshop, delivered at Bagot Community OHSC, formed part of Harvesting Our Knowledge, a project run by Motlop's venture Aboriginal Community Harvest. Through hands-on learning, tasting and a shared cook-up, participants of all ages learnt about traditional foods, seasonal harvesting and the importance of caring for Country.

"It was awesome to see how much bush tucker is still loved across generations and part of everyday life," Motlop said. "Days like this are about sharing knowledge, talking about sustainable harvesting, strengthening connection and learning together."

On the menu were bush greens, karkalla, Kakadu plum, rosella jam on scones, green ants, kangaroo salami, buffalo sausages, magpie goose and, as Motlop joked, "you can't have a proper feed without rice".

The session also highlighted Motlop's journey from elite sport to cultural educator and business owner grounded firmly back home in Darwin.

Motlop played at the highest level of Australian football with North Melbourne Football Club, where he was part of a premiership-winning side, before continuing his AFL career with Melbourne Football Club. While football took him across the country, he says culture always remained central to who he was.

"My footy journey was important, but this work is who I am," Motlop says. "Everything I teach now was taught to me first by my dad and family."

Knowledge passed down

Motlop's understanding of bush foods and harvesting practices was passed down by his father, Eddie Motlop, and extended family who taught him how to read the bush, understand seasonal cues and respect the balance between taking and leaving.

"He taught me to harvest to the seasons," Motlop says. "We were taught to only kill what we eat and respect the land that provides for us. Only take what you need."

That philosophy underpinned the Bagot Community workshop, where young people learnt that traditional food systems are guided not by calendars, but by environmental signs such as rain patterns, flowering plants, animal behaviour and changes in heat and humidity.

Participants were shown which foods are available in different seasons, why certain species must be left alone during breeding periods, and how sustainable harvesting allows food

sources to regenerate for future generations. They also learnt how to prepare and eat the foods they harvested and tasted.

"This isn't new thinking," Motlop says. "Our people have always practiced sustainability. It's thousands of years old."

Teaching through doing

Aboriginal Community Harvest delivers hands-on workshops designed to reconnect people, particularly young people, with traditional knowledge through experience rather than instruction. Elders and community members are encouraged to contribute, ensuring learning remains collective, respectful and culturally grounded.

The aim, Motlop says, is not just to teach bush foods, but to strengthen identity, pride and responsibility.

"When kids understand that this knowledge belongs to them, it changes how they see themselves," he says. "They start to understand their role in looking after Country." Motlop said he also values the knowledge shared back to him, particularly by older participants. "I love listening to what people eat, how they use bush foods and the different ways knowledge has been passed down in their families," he said.

Beyond workshops and into classrooms

Aboriginal Community Harvest is growing beyond education alone. Motlop is working to document and protect bush food knowledge through media, school resources and partnerships, with a long-term vision of developing curriculum that can be implemented in schools across the Northern Territory. He hopes this learning will be embedded both in classrooms and on Country, giving students access to culturally grounded knowledge about seasonal harvesting, sustainability and connection to place.

"For too long, this knowledge hasn't been treated as education," Motlop says. "I want to see it recognised properly and taught the right way."

From Country to the plate

That same seasonal philosophy is shaping Motlop's next venture - a bespoke seasonal Indigenous restaurant project, Fire & Forage, being developed in partnership with Indigenous chef Zach Green and local Indigenous owned restaurant Soul Essence on the Bay.

Fire & Forage will showcase native ingredients harvested in season, with menus shaped by availability rather than demand. Bush foods supplied through Aboriginal Community Harvest will form a core part of the offering, ensuring food served tells a story of Country, culture and respect.

"The food will follow the seasons," Motlop says. "If it's not ready, it won't be on the plate."

A different kind of legacy

While his AFL premiership remains a proud achievement, Motlop says the legacy he is focused on now looks very different.

"This work is about passing knowledge on properly," he says. "If our kids know how to care for Country, how to harvest responsibly and understand where they come from, then we're doing something right."

From premiership celebrations to community workshops, Shannon Motlop's journey reflects a return to the foundations of culture - ensuring traditional knowledge is protected, practiced and passed on, one season at a time.

Harvesting Our Knowledge is supported by the Northern Hub through funding from the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund.