‘Get Outside and Grow’ for National Tree Day
Residents of the Southern Highlands will have an opportunity to make a difference to the local environment this Saturday 11 October at the National Tree Day Wingecarribee community planting event at Whites Creek in Moss Vale.
National Tree Day is an annual event organised by Planet Ark with each region given the option of scheduling it to suit their local conditions.
The site chosen for this year’s planting is located across the creek from Cosgrove Park in an area that has benefited from a decade of revegetation work by Moss Vale Landcare and Wingecarribee Shire Council.
Council’s Natural Resource Officer Paul Marshall said the event is a fantastic way for community volunteers to make a positive contribution to the local environment and their own health.
“National Tree Day is a call-to-action for all Australians to ‘Get Outside and Grow’ – for their own health, and for that of our local environment,” he said. “Last year more than 50 volunteers planted hundreds of native trees, shrubs and groundcovers along another section of Whites Creek.”
The 50 trees, 200 shrubs, 750 sedges and rushes to be planted at this year’s event are all native species grown in Moss Vale by volunteers working at the Community Nursery.
“We’ve already pre-dug one thousand holes along the river bank and we look forward to the positive results of the event, which will help to enrich local wildlife habitat and increase the stability of the creek bed,” Mr Marshall said.
Members of the community are invited to join Landcare members and staff from Wingecarribee Shire Council on Saturday the 11 October from 8.30am to help with the planting. The day will conclude with a free BBQ lunch provided by Moss Vale Lions Club.
Volunteers are asked to wear sun-smart clothing with sturdy footwear and bring gloves if they have them – tools, sunscreen and extra gloves will be available on the day.
All volunteers are required to sign in at the registration table on arrival at the event and are requested to register for the Tree Day beforehand if possible to assist with catering.
Further details about the event and how to register can be found on Council’s website www.wsc.nsw.gov.au under the events calendar, or by phoning Council’s Natural Resource Officer on 4868 0772 or 0418 424 524.