Mib’ri – Medium Hand Carved Wooden Turtle by Sharyn Malone

Mib’ri means Turtle in Kabi Kabi language.

With intricate designs and a hand carved wooden form, these large decorative turtles invite children and educators to pause, look closely and appreciate the care involved in their creation. Each piece brings First Nations artistry into the learning environment, offering a starting point for conversations about Country, language and belonging.

In your learning environment

Display Mib’ri alongside nature discoveries, books or photographs of turtles and their habitats. Invite children to observe the intricate designs, notice patterns and share their questions. These conversations can lead into learning about turtles, caring for waterways and our responsibilities to the places and living things around us.

Introduce Sharyn by name and share her cultural background alongside the Kabi Kabi word Mib’ri. This helps children connect the resource with a living artist and a specific language, recognising that First Nations peoples have distinct cultures, languages and connections to Country.

Let any story supplied by Sharyn guide discussions about the designs and their meaning. The turtle can also provide a thoughtful starting point for building on learning shared by local First Nations families and community members.

Made of wood

Measures 30 x 27 x 7 

Sharyn Malone is a proud Koa-Guwa and Kabi Kabi woman, born and raised in Cherbourg on Wakka Wakka Country. She is a Cultural Practitioner, Artist, Storyteller, and dedicated advocate for First Nations women and young girls experiencing family and domestic violence and sexual violence.

As the Co-Founder of Yirun Yalangi Women’s Meeting Place, Sharyn helps create culturally grounded spaces where women can reconnect with Country, ceremony, kinship, language, and lore. Her workshops honour women’s business and offer gentle, culturally safe pathways to healing.

Through her art-based practices and storytelling workshops, Sharyn has supported many women in finding strength, voice, and healing by sharing their stories and reconnecting with cultural identity.

Sharyn’s passion is to break cycles of abuse and nurture a safer, stronger future for the next generation.
In her expanding role with Awe & Wonder, Sharyn now brings this same depth of cultural strength, healing, and storytelling into the creation of early childhood educational resources. Working closely with the team, she guides the cultural narratives that shape each resource—ensuring they are grounded in truth-telling, identity, connection to Country, and the lived experiences of First Nations communities. Her involvement ensures that children and educators are engaging with materials that honour culture through story, symbol, and meaning. Together, Sharyn and Awe & Wonder are building resources that carry her voice, her community’s stories, and her commitment to cultural integrity into learning environments across Australia.