Branch out for National Tree Day this Sunday

Australia’s largest community tree-planting and nature-care event is this Sunday 29 July, and Eurobodalla locals are being urged to get involved.

National Tree Day started in 1996 as an opportunity to reconnect with nature. Since then more than 3.8 million people have planted 24 million trees and plants.

Eurobodalla residents can pick up free native plants for their garden from Eurobodalla Council’s Plant Swap this Sunday 29 July at the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens.

All they have to do is remove environmental weeds from their garden, pop them in a bag and bring them to the Gardens between 10am and 2pm.

Council’s Natural Resource Supervisor Courtney Fink-Downes said planting natives was a perfect way to be part of the biggest nature event in the country.

“Planting trees is not only good for the environment, it’s good for you too,” she said.

“Research commissioned by Planet Ark and Toyota Australia, who jointly organise National Tree Day, showed there was a multitude of benefits associated with green time, including enhanced learning, concentration, healing, relaxation and recovery, to name a few.”

Council’s environmental team is partnering with local schools for Schools Tree Day to plant native vegetation on their properties, helping them to be more bush-friendly and to attract native birds.

Tree Day also ties in with the work of local Landcare groups, who are involved in a range of environmental protection initiatives.