It feels hotter earlier every year in Sydney, but what can we do about it? Increasing canopy cover is one strategy, out of many needed, to meet this challenge.
Greater Sydney Landcare, in partnership with Landcare NSW and proudly supported by the NSW Government, is Creating Canopies – a project to plant native trees and shrubs across Greater Sydney to reduce urban heat.
Creating Canopies began in 2020, planting 100,000 native trees and shrubs in Greater Sydney in two years. In 2023, the project’s funding was increased and its scope widened. Its new target was planting a further 200,000 trees across the region by the end of 2025.
As we approach the end of 2024, how is this second phase of Creating Canopies (2023-present) tracking towards its more ambitious target?
Creating Canopies Results (Jan 2023-Oct 2024)
Almost $1 million dollars of volunteer labour
was donated to the project in 2023-24!*
Get Involved in Creating Canopies
As we approach the final year of the project, Creating Canopies is once again offering public and private landowners the opportunity to participate in the project. We encourage all interested landowners to get in touch as soon as possible to ensure they donβt miss out.
Thank you to all who have been involved so far β we couldnβt have done it without you. There are only two more chances to join us for a planting this year before we wrap up for the summer. If we don’t see you in November, we look forward to planting again with you from autumn next year. Β
Organisations can also support the project through Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare. Be sure to download ourΒ Corporate Volunteering Info Pack.
How Canopy Cover Fights Heat
Creating canopy helps to reduce urban heat in three important ways:
- Shade and Energy Savings: Trees provide shade that can make outdoor spaces more comfortable and lower home energy usage.
- Moisture Retention: Vegetation attracts rain and retains moisture in the environment.
- Evaporative Cooling: Plants cool the surrounding air as moisture evaporates from their leaves, naturally reducing ambient temperatures.
* This value equates to what we could have paid, had we used staff instead of volunteers to plant the trees. Further details at Volunteering SA & NT – ‘How Much Is Volunteering Worth?’
