A spirit of environmental stewardship was in the air over the weekend across the Tamworth region as multiple tree-planting missions planted the seeds of a green future.
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The weekend began with Schools Tree Day on Friday, July 28, an offshoot of National Tree Day that gives schools the chance to get kids involved in educational environmental activities.
That opportunity was not passed up by Bendemeer Public School, who brought their little sprouts out to the Macdonald River for a day of learning, tree planting, and koalas.
Planting a pathway for koalas
On the banks of the Macdonald River, a small but mighty group of students gathered on Friday.
Under the supervision of the Macdonald River Restoration Group and Tamworth Regional Landcare Association, the young pupils were on a mission to plant as many ribbon gum trees as possible.
Tamworth councillor Phil Betts educated the students on the importance of tree planting in creating a much-needed koala corridor in the New England region in an effort to protect the species after it was listed as endangered last year.
Once they learned how ribbon gum trees are a major food source for koalas, the kids were more than excited to plant more "koala trees".
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The kids were also excited to see how much their trees from last year's planting had grown, their teacher Anne Doak said.
"Last year we had our first planting of ribbon gums, so we went down to the same spot and the children all planted a tree and got to see their tree and how much it had grown," Mrs Doak said.
The teacher, who also works for the Macdonald River Restoration Group, said the effort has been a long-term project and she's happy to see her students sew the seeds of the river's future.
"I hope I'm still here in another 20 years time to see them grow into some substantial trees," she said.
With the support of volunteers from the local branch of the Country Women's Association, the event served as an excellent start to a weekend of tree planting across the region.
Peel River event a blooming success
Two days later, on National Tree Day, Tamworth residents came out in bunches to contribute to the conservation of the Peel River ecosystem.
Organised by Tamworth Urban Landcare and The Pub Angling Club, eager tree-lovers volunteered their time and sweat to plant more than 200 native trees, shrubs, and grasses along the river's banks on Jewry Street just outside the CBD.
Tamworthians of all ages gathered bright and early on Sunday morning, armed with gloves, spades, and a shared passion for making the town a nicer-looking place to live.
In true Aussie community spirit, participants also had the chance to bond and share stories over a free barbecue breakfast.
The National Tree Day events come while Tamworth Regional Council continues to pursue its Urban Street Tree Management Plan and overall greening and cooling strategy as outlined in its recently-adopted environmental action plan.
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