On Tuesday 24th September 2024, Greater Sydney Landcare’s Creating Canopies team was excited to once again team up with Hills Grammar Senior School students for a day of tree planting.
This year’s event took place at Crowgey Street Reserve in Rydalmere, within the Parramatta LGA. A group of 60 enthusiastic students and four teachers joined us for the day, ready to make a difference to the local environment.
Planting the Future—One Tree at a Time
While last year’s planting at Fairfield Hospital was cut short by a scorching 38-degree heatwave, this year’s conditions were much more comfortable. The semi-shaded reserve, bordered by large trees, provided excellent conditions for the day’s work—illustrating the cooling benefits of trees firsthand.
Danielle Packer, Project Manager of Creating Canopies, kicked off the day by speaking to the students about the project’s goals and the importance of creating a thriving native canopy. Local wildlife including King Parrots, Wood Ducks and Currawongs seemed just as curious, appearing throughout the day to observe the activity.
Team Effort: Students Dig In
The students were eager to get started. After breaking into smaller groups for health and safety briefings and planting demonstrations, they got to work. Together, they installed 1,500 native plant tubestock, specially chosen for their ability to thrive in wet conditions and grow into a future canopy. The species selected will grow to three metres and above, helping to restore this area as valuable native habitat. Many earthworms, spiders and ladybugs were spotted as the students planted.
The group also added biodegradable weed mats around the new plants, which will reduce competition from weeds and grasses while providing stability during potential flooding—an essential precaution given the reserve’s natural floodplain location. Bamboo stakes were placed alongside the plants to assist us in monitoring growth in the coming months.
Caring for the Land
The students worked efficiently, ensuring all the plants were installed and watered. With the planting complete, the students went above and beyond by collecting three bags of rubbish from around the reserve, further contributing to the site’s restoration.
A Greener Tomorrow for Local Wildlife
Thanks to the hard work of the Hills Grammar students, this site is well on its way to becoming a restored native habitat, offering a haven for local wildlife. Runners and walkers, a few of whom were spotted during the event, will also continue to enjoy the space, as pathways were left clear for community use.
Local residents were supportive too, with some stopping by after the students had left to admire the newly planted area and share their appreciation.
Thank You, Hills Grammar!
We are incredibly grateful to Hills Grammar for their ongoing support of Creating Canopies. The students’ enthusiasm, teamwork, and dedication made a significant impact, and we look forward to seeing the results of their efforts in the years to come.
A special thanks also goes to Parramatta City Council for providing this site, helping to increase canopy cover across the area and support local biodiversity.
Volunteer for Bushcare in Parramatta
If you’d like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Parramatta LGA, you can become a Bushcare volunteer and regenerate bushland. No experience is necessary as training is provided.
Get Involved in Creating Canopies
If you’d like to find out how to get free trees planted on your land, visit our Register Your Site for Trees page.
Come along and plant trees with Creating Canopies. Find out what events we have coming up on Greater Sydney Landcare’s Eventbrite page.
Find out more about Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare here. Be sure to download our Corporate Volunteering Info Pack.
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.
