Castlemaine Landcare Group is inviting anyone and everyone to roll up their sleeves and be part of this Sunday’s big community planting event marking National Tree Day.
National Tree Day is this Sunday July 31 and to mark it in style the local landcare group is aiming to get between 1500 and 2000-plus plants into plots they have especially prepared alongside Castlemaine’s Moonlight Creek.
The Landcare group’s president Christine Kilmartin says the family-friendly outdoorsy event will take place between 10am – 1pm.
Besides the planting of numerous native plants especially selected for the site, it will also include a free barbecue lunch cooked by the Castlemaine Lions Club, with some vegan-friendly options available as well.
“This site was old gold mining and then farming, and it’s a hard site to work to get back but in the long run it’s starting to look terrific,” the landcare group president says.
Restoration of biodiversity is a big focus with many low growing plants and grasses going in, along with “a small clump of trees” in an effort to enhance habitat for small birds that feed on grass seeds.
“We’ve already got a lot of trees planted,” notes Christine, ahead of this Sunday’s event which promises to be a warming and sociable way to spend National Tree Day.
“I would suggest rugging up and wearing boots,” Christine says.
Sunday’s big planting event is part of the landcare group’s ongoing work to strengthen the Moonlight Creek vegetation corridor from Forest Creek to Kalimna Park under a Victorian Landcare Grant through the North Central Catchment Management Authority.
Sunday’s National Tree Day planting site is accessible from Happy Valley Road with a map and further details available via the Castlemaine Landcare Group’s Facebook page and website – with COVID safety protocols to be followed.
Planet Ark’s National Tree Day started in 1996 and has grown into Australia’s largest community tree planting and nature care event with the Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare Group and Elphinstone Creek Care also registering planting events for people to join.