It might take a few years before it really takes off, but hundreds of volunteers have started a process that will help their local creek and its wildlife thrive.
Deputy Mayor Andrew Davenport was one of the 200 volunteers who showed up for the first session of National Tree Day planting in Box Hill South. Photo: Cat Quach
Wearing hats and gardening gloves, local students, families and environmental groups in Whitehorse Council have come together to support the annual National Tree Day.
City of Whitehorse Deputy Mayor Andrew Davenport joined the volunteers and emphasised the importance of growing trees for the community.
“I’ve come out today to National Tree Day because I believe in planting trees for future generations. Today, the volunteers have prepared the plant ground before the event. My main task is digging holes for the saplings that we will be planting today,” he said.
“I’m always quite impressed by how many people turn up to National Tree Day. Last year we had about 400 turn up in one session, so this year council has split that into two planting sessions.”
Starting in 1996, every last Sunday in July, about 300,000 people across Australia volunteer their time to plant trees on National Tree Day. Councils in Victoria have joined this movement with the help of local communities.
The Whitehorse City Council’s 2023 planting day was a huge success, with about 400 community members attending and more than 3500 local indigenous plants planted along the Gardiners Creek Trail Reserve. The 2024 event followed this success by continuing to plant along the reserve in Box Hill South, according to organiser Cassie Lukies.
“All of them are Australian indigenous plants and we got them from our volunteers at the Bungalook Native Nursery in Blackburn South. We’re also looking to help birds by providing safe habitats, and ensuring access to food with these native corridors,” Lukies said.
“It’s incredibly special to see this many people caring for their community and environment and they all come together and work as a team. I think it’s good for our mental health, being able to socialise with people and being able to contribute to your local community.”
Planting trees in winter helped to reduce transplant shock and ensures root establishment before spring growth. Because of the variety of plants seeded, the time for them to fully grow also varies, however Luckies estimated the area would be transformed in a few years’ time.
