A message from Danielle Packer, Greater Sydney Landcare’s Creating Canopies Project Manager:
“What a year it has been!
On behalf of the Creating Canopies team, I can easily say that we have thoroughly enjoyed the process of working with various Councils, organisations, landholders, and volunteers in getting 59,159 trees in the ground across Greater Sydney in 2023.
The Councils we have worked with this year have been on board with the project through various means. They have helped us find sites across their LGA to plant, provided us with assistance with site preparation or extra maintenance, and invited their local community to join us in planting the trees. We have really appreciated the enthusiasm and similarities in the goals we want to achieve including greening our spaces, helping to create habitat for native wildlife, and encouraging the community to get outside more and get their hands dirty!
A Bumper Year for Corporate Volunteering
It has also been great to see a large amount of interest from corporate organisations to participate in planting trees with us and learn about why this activity is so important for our natural environment. The corporate volunteering teams we led this year were all hard working, eager to learn and exhibited great energy during the day. This year, we had a total of 335 corporate volunteers from 13 organisations plant with us, which was a fantastic result.
Phenomenal Partnerships
During this year, we had a few special partnerships that significantly contributed to our target of planting 200,000 trees by the end of 2025 and inviting the community along with us on the journey.
One of them has been with Liverpool City Council. We planted over 5,000 trees and shrubs at four of their parks and reserves this year including our National Tree Day event held at Gough Park in Cecil Hills. This event saw 3,000 trees and shrubs planted with over 50 community volunteers.
Blacktown City Council was another fantastic partner this year. Blacktown volunteered six sites for Creating Canopies plantings in 2023, which added over 10,000 native trees and shrubs to the LGA thanks to the efforts of over 500 volunteers.
Another special shout out goes to Western Sydney University who partnered with us to plant 30,000 trees on the grounds of the Hawkesbury Campus over three years. We have already planted 10,000 trees there, which are looking healthy.
We are making plans to plant trees with new Councils and landowners as well across Greater Sydney next year. We look forward to the possibilities that would provide us, regarding creating more green spaces for our community. Green spaces are needed more then ever, especially as you get closer to the city.
Get Involved Today
Everyone can do their part to contribute to the greening of our city. Volunteer to plant trees with Creating Canopies, join your Council’s Bushcare group or create habitat for wildlife in your backyards or balcony. By planting native flowering trees and shrubs in our yards, we can create shade for ourselves, and habitat and food for the local bees, insects and birds that live nearby and need a helping hand.
If you want to come to plant with us, sign up to our newsletter or follow us on Eventbrite or Facebook to see all our upcoming planting events.
If you’re a private landowner with space for at least 100 trees or a public landowner with space for at least 1,000 trees, then let us know! We can help you out.
Wishing You Happy Holidays & A Fun Festive Season
See you next year—hopefully at a planting, as we have 80,000 trees and shrubs planned for next year all across Greater Sydney.
On behalf of the Creating Canopies team, we hope you have a lovely Christmas and holiday break.
Kind regards,
Dani”
About Creating Canopies
Landcare NSW and Greater Sydney Landcare are planting 200,000 trees as part of the Greening our City program to help reduce urban heat in Greater Sydney. Proudly funded by the NSW Government.