Helping hands for Cabbage Tree Creek this National Tree Day

A PLANTING will be held at Cabbage Tree Creek, Fairy Meadow on Sunday morning as part of National Tree Day 2022.

Planet Ark is encouraging Australians to connect with nature and their local community for National Tree Day 2022 and do something positive for the future – plant a tree!

The Fairy Meadow planting day is part of Wollongong City Council’s broader restoration works within Cabbage Tree Creek.

Participants are asked to meet at the car park in Cambridge Avenue, Fairy Meadow on Sunday, July 31. The planting will be held from 10am to midday. Call Greg Fikkers on 42277450 for further information.

Schools Tree Day (July 29) and National Tree Day (July 31) are Australia’s largest annual tree-planting and nature care events, with plantings taking place across the country on the last weekend of July. Over the last 26 years, over 26 million native trees, shrubs and grasses have been planted by over five million National Tree Day volunteers.

This week Planet Ark is also celebrating numerous plantings taking place around the country that have been funded through The Seedling Bank program.

Launched in 2019 with the goal of supplying native seedlings to schools and community groups, the program has already provided funding for almost 39,000 seedlings to 90 groups around Australia.

The call-to-action comes with new research showing that eight out of 10 Australians agree that planting trees is an important part of creating a more sustainable future. Planet Ark co-CEO Rebecca Gilling said this reflects an understanding of the ability to make a difference through personal behaviour, with seven out of 10 agreeing individual actions can have a positive impact on global environmental issues such as climate change.

Key facts:

• National Tree Day is Australia’s largest tree planting and nature care event
• Founded in 1996, over 26 million trees have been planted by over 5 million volunteers for National Tree Day
• Over 80 per cent of Australians agree that planting trees is an important part of creating a more sustainable future
• 81 per cent agree spending time in nature is good for physical and psychological wellbeing
• 74 per cent agree planting trees is an important means of learning about our environment and how to care for it
• 69 per cent agree spending time in nature increases their desire to protect the natural environment
• 27 per cent believe Australian children spend enough time playing outdoors in nature

“These results clearly show Australians want to have a positive impact on the environment and one of the simplest things we can do to support nature is to plant a tree,” Ms Gilling said 

“With that one small action you can help cool the climate, provide homes for native wildlife, and make your community a better place to live.”

The research was conducted on behalf of Planet Ark by Pollinate as part of The Pulse survey, a bi-annual quantitative study that measures environmental, social, and economic issues and concerns.

“Previous National Tree Day research has demonstrated the significant and varied benefits of interaction with nature for children’s health, wellbeing and development, so it’s concerning to see that our younger generations are not getting the nature play they need, Ms Gilling said.

“We see first-hand the positive impacts of time in nature through the thousands of students who get involved in Schools Tree Day each year and the joy it brings them. So many adults reflect on their childhood experiences of Tree Day, and the pride they feel as they see the results of their labours all those years ago.”

National Tree Day is an initiative organised by Planet Ark in partnership with major sponsor Toyota Australia and its Dealer Network. This year, Planet Ark and Toyota have teamed up with the AFL to plant a tree for every point scored during rounds 17-19, an estimated 4,500 trees. The trees will be donated through Planet Ark’s Seedling Bank, to grow a ‘Footy Forest’ across Australia.

For more information or to find a site near you, visit treeday.planetark.org.

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