Volunteers dig in for Tree Day transformation at Lake Illawarra
Bushcare volunteers young and old dug in to build a greener future at Berkeley
Sunday was the 30th anniversary of National Tree Day, started by Planet Ark in 1996 and now the largest community event of its kind in Australia.
To celebrate, Wollongong City Council hosted planting events in Berkeley and Horsley, where volunteers planted native grasses, shrubs and trees along the Lake Illawarra foreshore and Robins Creek.
Before and after: Trees, shrubs and native grasses were planted at Berkeley. Photos: Ruth Barbato
At the lake foreshore at Berkeley, Wollongong councillor Andrew Anthony (pictured below, at right) was among the Bushcare volunteers who dug in to help build a greener future.
"I really enjoyed taking part in National Tree Day at Berkeley," Cr Anthony said. "We were creating a greener corridor between the shared path and the lake.
"Restoring native vegetation is really important, we planted a mix of trees and shrubs that will eventually grow to provide habitat and food for local wildlife."
Planting Illawarra natives is a simple step that everyone is encouraged to take as climate change drives longer, hotter seasons.
"It was great to see people of all different ages coming together and making a practical contribution," Cr Anthony said. "My son James and I planted about 40 plants together.
"One of the things we enjoy most about taking part in these planting days is revisiting sites we have helped plant in the past and seeing how much the plants have flourished.
"Wollongong City Council has regular Bushcare events across the city and I encourage people to get involved and help improve the health of our local environment."
To volunteer, visit council's Bushcare webpage.
Check out the action on Sunday at Berkeley in the photos below by Ruth Barbato.
After the planting, the new native grasses received a good soak. All photos: Ruth Barbato
