Sunny skies greeted the community as Greater Shepparton City Council hosted its annual National Tree Day celebration on Sunday, July 28, at Yakka Basin Reserve in Shepparton.
From 10am to noon, locals enjoyed perfect winter weather as they contributed to a greener Shepparton.
Council staff, volunteers and RiverConnect employees were on site in the early hours to prepare the ground and materials needed to ensure everyone’s experience was a breeze. Plants, stakes, guards, mats, gloves and tools were provided to all.
According to volunteer Helen Jeffs, 170 people had booked to attend this year. Volunteers indicated that every year, more people dropped in at the last minute.
“National Tree Day is always a fantastic community event,” RiverConnect project officer Ali White said.
“It gets bigger and better every year.”
The event was thoughtfully organised, featuring a free barbecue lunch and a native plant giveaway for each participant, encapsulating the essence of community spirit.
News Journalist Khadija Hadjab captured the event — and even planted her first tree!
How did National Tree Day start?
In 1996, Planet Ark, a not-for-profit environmental organisation that has pioneered efforts to improve humans’ ecological impact on our planet, started National Tree Day.
Over the years, the annual event has grown into Australia’s largest community tree-planting initiative.
Since its inception, 27 million trees have been planted, five million people have volunteered, and 10 million hours have been donated to this noble cause.