Tag: Tree Planting

Habitat Hops creating connections into the future

Habitat connectivity and high on-farm productivity can often be at odds but one Landcare group in southern NSW is ensuring that landholders guide the way for the ‘habitat hops’ across their landscape, big or small, to ensure that farms remain financially viable and environmentally sustainable.

Although in its early stages, the Burrinjuck to Bango Habitat Hops Project, funded through the Environmental Trust, is connecting different members of the community to connect habitat corridors across their region.

From small ‘blockies’ to larger landholders, the project stretches from Bango Nature Reserve to the Burrinjuck Dam, connecting crucial habitat corridors for threatened flora and fauna species.

Project Coordinator and Bowning-Bookham Landcare member, Ms Elizabeth Goodfellow, says the project’s main focus is about supporting the local ecological communities including the endangered Box Gum Grassy Woodland.

“The Box Gum Grassy Woodland is spread across a large area of NSW but is highly fragmented. With the support of this project, we’ve put in 10,000 tubestock on 30 tree plots in between Burrinjuck and Bango across 12 different properties to help support this ecosystem,” says Elizabeth.

Planted just before and during the recent drought, Elizabeth said the project’s success lay in landholders having an unique plan for each property and a plant survival rate of 80% or more in spite of the drought.

“Each property that worked in the project came up with a plan of where they wanted to do tree planting and what funding and support would help implement the plan. It definitely wasn’t without its challenges, but we tried to make it as easy as possible.

“The benefit of this project is it is a lot more flexible in what you can do on-farm. We can support anything from simply fencing of paddock trees as well as small lots to shelter belts hundreds of metres long, these are are all part of it. Comparatively, a lot of the other projects require big areas to be included in your tree plots. So, by making this a bit more flexible regarding size we’ve been able to make sure we get both that on-farm productivity as well as the environmental benefits.

“The funding, provided by the Environmental Trust, helped move the project from ‘nice thing to do’ to being ‘doable’”.

While investing in lizards, bugs and birds may not seem to have a big imprint in the everyday fabric of our lives and farms, these all play a crucial role in supporting the overall health of our environment and subsequently our individual health and wellbeing.

“Biodiversity is the variety of all living things; the different plants, animals and microorganisms, the genetic information they contain and the ecosystems they form. So, by creating these habitat connections, we are creating a stronger, more resilient bio-diverse environment. This leads to happier and healthier farms. Productivity goes up, water quality improves, beneficial species return, this all leads to greater health in the landscape.

“While in the short term we are counting the numbers of tube stock on the ground, we are also growing a community of people who are interested in looking after the environment together and making sure that we have a healthy landscape that is going to be looking after us well into the future.”

One of the biggest flow-on effects, Elizabeth says, is the increased involvement of individual landholders connecting with local Landcare through the project.

“(The project) has helped a whole bunch of new people into our Landcare group. We gained new people who saw the benefits for their properties in being involved in this project and hopefully they will be involved in other projects into the future as well,” says Elizabeth.

With another 3 years of funding secured to ensure the project continues, the future is looking bright and working towards a time where participants and community members will be able to once more stand on Bookham Hill and see habitat hops stretching across the landscape.

1200 Trees Planted at Fairfield Hospital

The grounds of Fairfield Hospital are set to green thanks to a partnership between the NSW Government, Fairfield City Council and Landcare NSW to plant 1200 trees.

Fairfield Hospital General Manager Paul Crowe and the Mayor of Fairfield Frank Carbone joined Landcare NSW CEO Dr Adrian Zammit and the Greater Sydney Landcare Network’s Creating Canopies team and 20 volunteers to plant new trees and undergrowth plants at Fairfield Hospital.

Mayor of Fairfield Frank Carbone said the new greenery will be a huge benefit to patients at the hospital, wildlife and the wider community.

“These trees will create a beautiful environment for patients, visitors and the wider community to relax, while creating new habitat and strengthening the corridor along Orphan School Creek,” Mr Carbone said.

The Department of Planning Industry and Environment’s Deputy Secretary of Place, Design and Public Spaces Alex O’Mara said the initiative was part of the NSW Government’s commitment to plant one million trees across Greater Sydney.

“Access to green spaces has immense health benefits for the community and play a big role in supporting mental and physical health and we are committed to ensuring everyone across Greater Sydney can experience these benefits,” Ms O’Mara said.

Landcare NSW CEO, Dr Adrian Zammit said the organisation was proud to partner with the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in Greening our City.

“Landcare NSW works to improve the health of our environment and communities and by expanding the green canopy cover across Greater Sydney we are not only contributing to our community’s health and well-being but also the protection of our native plants and animals by providing much needed habitat,” Dr Zammit said.

Fairfield Hospital General Manager Paul Crowe said more than 1200 trees will make a huge difference to the health and wellbeing of patients and visitors to Fairfield Hospital.

“More canopy cover will improve the natural environment and contribute to the preservation of Cumberland Plain Woodland, while providing a peaceful place for patients and their families to enjoy,” Mr Crowe said.

The trees will be planted as part of the NSW Government’s $2.1 million investment and partnership with Landcare to plant 100,000 new trees across Greater Sydney.

The undergrowth plants have been donated by Fairfield Council Nursery.

Creating Canopies in Greater Sydney is looking for Landcarers and landholders from across the region interested in participating in tree planting activities and creating future canopies.

Landcarers and landholders interested in registering their site for trees can email trees@greatersydneylandcare.org or call (02) 4724 2147.

This project is a part of the NSW Government Greening our City program, planting 1 million trees in Greater Sydney by 2022. Landcare NSW will work with the Greater Sydney Landcare Network to deliver the planting of 100,000 trees with a focus on Western Sydney.

130 Trees planted for Kurrajong koalas

Greater Sydney Landcare Network today planted 130 trees in Kurrajong which will provide an important habitat corridor for a genetically distinct population of koalas.

Landcare NSW CEO Dr Adrian Zammit was joined by Member for Hawkesbury Robyn Preston and a group of 20 volunteers on Saturday 22 August, to plant 130 trees in Kurrajong Hills as part of the Government’s initiative to green Greater Sydney by planting one million trees over the next two years.

The planting is part of the Creating Canopies project being delivered in partnership with Landcare NSW. Funding for the project is provided by the NSW Government as part of the program to expand the city’s green canopy cover across Greater Sydney, with a focus on Western Sydney.

“This site is an important habitat corridor for the koala population in Kurrajong and we’ll be helping these creatures to thrive by restoring the koala corridor, planting their food tree species and removing weeds,” Ms Preston said.

“Greening our neighbourhoods and backyards is integral to our community’s health and wellbeing and the protection and resilience of our native plants and animals.

“More tree canopy means more shade, cooler suburbs and habitats for our beautiful wildlife.

“That’s why the NSW Government has teamed up with Landcare NSW and invested $2.1 million to plant 100,000 new trees across Greater Sydney by 2022 to expand the city’s green canopy.”

Landcare NSW CEO Dr Adrian Zammit said the project will help support the development of green spaces across Greater Sydney.

“With the support of the Greater Sydney Landcare Network, we will be planting 100,000 trees across Greater Sydney from 2020 – 2022. This will help grow native canopy to cool our city with Landcarers helping landowners and community members participate in tree planting activities,” said Dr Zammit.

“We will bring the skills and dedication of our extensive networks to help meet these ambitious goals. The expertise of Landcarers will be important in ensuring that appropriate sites are chosen, landholders are provided with correct advice on tree choice and long-term maintenance, and trees are planted with the best chance of surviving.

“We will work directly with landowners and local native nurseries in identifying the most appropriate tree species to be planted for each site.”

Creating Canopies in Greater Sydney is looking for Landcarers and landholders from across the region interested in participating in tree planting activities and creating future canopies.

Landcarers and landholders interested in registering their site for trees can email trees@greatersydnelandcare.org or call (02) 4724 2147.

To date, more than 300,000 trees have been planted across Greater Sydney as part of the Greening our City program to increase tree canopy and green cover across Greater Sydney by planting one million trees by 2022.

 

Landcare NSW CEO, Dr Adrian Zammit, Robyn Preston MP member for Hawkesbury and landowner Chris Keen.

MEDIA:

Jodie Lovell Landcare NSW | 0439 316 151

 

Landcare NSW will work with the Greater Sydney Landcare Network to deliver the planting of 100,000 trees with a focus on Western Sydney by 2022.

Thousands of new trees to be planted across Greater Sydney

The NSW Government is investing nearly $5 million to plant thousands of new trees across  Greater Sydney to expand the city’s green canopy in partnership with Greening Australia and Landcare NSW.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the partnerships will see 172,000 new trees planted in Greater Sydney’s parks, schools and communities over the next two-and-a-half years, with the first 32,000 to be planted by the end of 2020.

“We have connected with leading environmental organisations to increase our tree canopy cover, cool our communities and create great new green public spaces across the city,” Mr Stokes said.

“New trees today mean more healthy shaded public spaces and beautiful tree-lined streets for communities to enjoy now and for years to come.”

The NSW Government has signed two contracts totaling $4.77 million for:
–  100,000 trees to be planted across Greater Sydney, with a focus on Western Sydney with Landcare NSW; and
–  72,000 trees to be planted across parks and community spaces and schools across Greater Sydney with Greening Australia.

The two new partnerships will contribute to the NSW Government’s ambitious target to plant     one million trees by 2022.

Landcare NSW CEO Dr Adrian Zammit said the project will help support the development of green spaces across Greater Sydney.

“With the support of the Greater Sydney Landcare Network we will help grow native canopy to cool our city with Landcarers helping landowners and community members participate in tree planting activities.

“Our shared challenge is not only to get the trees in the ground but to monitor and provide education to ensure they survive.”

Greening Australia’s Nature in Cities Director Paul Della Libera said the ‘Cooling the Schools’ program will establish native habitats and help cool urban areas.

“By working together with schoolchildren across Greater Sydney to increase the tree canopy cover in their neighbourhoods, we can lower temperatures and create healthier communities for both people and wildlife. This is particularly important in urban areas given rising summer temperatures.

“We will be partnering with Western Sydney University to identify and prioritise the communities with the lowest canopy cover and greatest vulnerability to the urban heat island effect.”

MEDIA:

Jodie Lovel Landcare NSW | 0439 316 151 

Courtney Taylor DPIE | 0499 699 226