Jennifer Pittorino
Both Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong council’s will be celebrating National Tree Day this year with tree planting days.
National Tree Day is an event held annually by Planet Ark on the last weekend of July, it is Australia’s largest community tree planting and nature protection event, with over one million new trees, shrubs and grasses planted across the country each year.
On Sunday, July 30, Hobsons Bay residents can join council’s conservation rangers in planting 2,000 native plants at Altona Coastal Park to support local wildlife.
The planting will occur from 10am to 12pm, followed by a free barbecue lunch.
As the planting site is just off the Bay Trail West bike path, council are encouraging people to ride their bikes to reduce emissions.
Mayor Tony Briffa said everything council can do to help wildlife thrive in Hobsons Bay by planting native trees and plants is well worth the effort.
“National Tree Day is always a great opportunity not only to look after our local environment, but to get involved in the community and work together for a great cause,”she said.
“I encourage everyone who loves the environment, loves gardening, or just loves meeting people and having some fun, to get involved in this wonderful event.”
Maribyrnong’s 2023 National Tree Day event aims to plant 4,000 trees and shrubs, a sixty per cent increase on last year’s tally of 2,500 plantings.
The event will also be held on Sunday, July 30 at Burndap Park from 9am to 3pm.
Mayor Sarah Carter said National Tree Day is about more than just planting trees, it’s also about fostering a stronger community while accelerating Council’s commitment to sustainability.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of this initiative for the ninth year running, supporting Maribyrnong to achieve our goal of increasing our canopy cover to twenty per cent by 2040, in line with our Urban Forest Strategy,” she said.
