Residents are invited to help restore local bushland during this year’s National Tree Day, with community planting events taking place at The Glade in Wahroonga and Reddy Park in Hornsby on Sunday, 26 July.
Both free events welcome volunteers of all ages and experience levels to spend the morning planting native trees and shrubs while contributing to the conservation of endangered local ecosystems.
At The Glade, Ku-ring-gai Council will host a community planting day from 10 am to 1 pm to help restore the critically endangered Blue Gum High Forest. Volunteers will plant a diverse range of locally native species, all propagated by council nursery volunteers using seed collected from the surrounding bushland to help preserve the area’s genetic diversity.
The planting site is located in the southern section of The Glade, near the end of Tanderra Street. The event is suitable for children and wheelchair accessible. A free barbecue, planting equipment and watering cans will be provided.
Meanwhile, Hornsby Shire Council will hold a community planting event at Reddy Park from 10 am to noon, with volunteers helping restore a small but significant remnant of critically endangered bushland in the heart of Hornsby.
The family-friendly event will see participants plant local native species to improve habitat and strengthen the reserve’s ecological value. The planting site is accessed from the entrance opposite 70 Pretoria Parade.
While suitable for children, the site is not wheelchair accessible. Tools and watering equipment will be available, and participants are encouraged to bring gloves, a hat, drinking water and sturdy footwear.
Attendees at both events are advised to wear gardening clothes, sun protection and comfortable enclosed shoes.
National Tree Day is Australia’s largest community tree-planting and nature care event. Beyond improving local biodiversity, urban tree planting helps store carbon, reduce air pollution and cool surrounding neighbourhoods, contributing to lower energy use during warmer months.
No bookings are required for either event, with residents invited to simply turn up and lend a hand.
For more information about the Wahroonga planting, contact Ku-ring-gai Council’s Sybylla Brown on (02) 9424 0604. For the Reddy Park event in Hornsby, contact Jean-Philippe Kecman on 0481 033 552.
Visit the nationaltreeday.org.au for more events across Sydney.
