Creating Canopies teamed up with Penrith City Council at Grey Gums Oval in Cranebrook on Saturday 11th November, bringing 25 volunteers together to plant 500 new trees and shrubs in the park.
Partnering with Penrith City Council
This was the first Creating Canopies in partnership with Penrith City Council in 2023, though we did partner with them and plant in the Local Government Area during the first stage of Creating Canopies, which ran from 2020-22.
Thank you to the volunteers for planting 500 native trees supplied by the Council Nursery, including Grey Box (Eucalyptus molucanna), Prickly-leaved Honeymyrtle (Melaleuca decora) and Sydney Green Wattle (Acacia decurrens). Some of these species will grow over 25m tall – that’s as tall as a six-storey building!
The trees and shrubs planted will improve the quality of the bushland, provide habitat for our beloved wildlife such as birds, and, over time, increase the green canopy to help cool and shade the area.
With a high of 35 degrees projected November 11th, volunteers and staff were thankful for the existing shade provided by nearby tall trees, which provided some relief as temperatures soared. Staff had Zooper Doopers on hand for volunteers, as they made quick work of the 500 trees and finished the day with a catered lunch.
What Did the Volunteers Think?
We received some lovely feedback from attendees to this event. When asked ‘What did you think of the event’, volunteers responded:
-
- “I think this is a fantastic idea. We definitely need more trees planted in Penrith area, as the climate is changing, getting much hotter and less rain. Fully support this event.”
- “Excellent event, thank you!”
- “I thought it was fantastic!”
When asked ‘What was your favourite part of the event?’ volunteers responded:
-
- “Meeting new people and seeing the smiles of satisfaction on the tree planters.”
- “We finished early and could spend more time watering the plants.”
- “Of course getting to help plant the 500 trees, talking to the volunteers from Bushcare and Greater Sydney Landcare. All were so helpful, friendly and answered any questions. Would definitely recommend this event, great morning ❤️”
- [We were] “planting under the big trees so we got a lot of shadows. The temperatures was 36°C at Penrith area but we didn’t feel the heat.”
- “My toddler loved planting a few trees.”
When asked ‘What did you learn about the natural environment?’ volunteers responded:
-
- “How important it is to us as humans, and to the remaining birds, animals and insects which are native to this area.”
- “We need to create more natural environments for birds, wildlife etc and humans, otherwise we will see especially wildlife disappear, plus soil erosion happen. We have to plant more trees, shrubs etc for homes for wildlife, shade and beauty for humans.”
Wrapping Up Creating Canopies 2023 Planting Season
This event marked the last public community planting day held by Creating Canopies for 2023, as the team will use the hot summer months to provide maintenance to previously planted sites and prepare for the busy 2024.
We were proud to announce that Creating Canopies, thanks to our great landowner partners and wonderful tree planting volunteers, has planted 59,114 plants in 2023! That’s a fantastic start to this second stage of the project, which will see us plant 200,000 native trees and shrubs across Greater Sydney by the end of 2025.
Thank You to All Our Attendees
To make the occasion extra special, the Mayor of Penrith Todd Carney, Councillor Robin Cook, and Landcare NSW CEO Turlough Guerin joined the planting and spoke about the importance of tree planting and community, as well as the vital partnership between our organisations.
-
Landcare NSW CEO Turlough Guerin, Penrith Mayor Todd Carney and Councillor Robin Cook were on hand to speak about the partnership and plant trees. Photo: Landcare NSW. -
Landcare NSW CEO Turlough Guerin, Penrith Mayor Todd Carney and Councillor Robin Cook were on hand to speak about the partnership and plant trees. Photo: Landcare NSW. -
Landcare NSW CEO Turlough Guerin putting guards together to protect the newly installed plants. Photo: Landcare NSW.
Greater Sydney Landcare thanks Penrith City Council, all the dignitaries and volunteers that attended for ending our planting season so successfully.
We also extend our heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who travelled from all throughout Sydney (including by public transport) to join us throughout 2023.
We’re looking forward to seeing you at a planting again in 2024 when the weather cools down.
Join Penrith’s Bushcare Program
If you’d like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Penrith area, you can become a Bushcare volunteer and regenerate bushland. No experience is necessary as training is provided.
Get Involved in Creating Canopies
Find out more about Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare here. Be sure to download our Corporate Volunteering Info Pack.
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.
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.
