Volunteers planted about 1.5 million trees as part of National Tree Day in late July. Sources: Ninemsn, Planet Ark, The Newcastle Herald
During the 17 years National Tree Day has been celebrated, about 20 million trees have been planted.
Previously only natives species featured, but this year any variety was accepted.
“Nature is good for us. Trees are good for us and obviously they’re good for the environment too,” said Sara McGregor from organisers Planet Ark.
The wellbeing of people particularly in metropolitan areas can improve if they “get out in nature” and plant trees, according to McGregor.
“Especially in these days of a lot of screen time, people working longer hours, people are now living in flats and apartments, it really is maintaining that link with nature,” she said.
Increased academic performance, reduced levels of depression and quicker recoveries for hospital patients have all been linked to exposure to nature, McGregor said.
As an example more than 100 volunteers equipped with gloves and trowels descended on King Edward Park in Newcastle for National Tree Day.
Bush regenerator Sharyn Ryan-Hancock said when local environment group Trees In Newcastle first visited King Edward Park in 2005, they found the parcel of land near the flowerbeds unsightly and overrun with weeds.
She said the group’s weekly visits and annual National Tree Day planting had transformed the site.
‘‘This is one of our favourite sites and it’s an icon of Newcastle that is widely visited by the public,’’ Ryan-Hancock said.
‘‘We’ve aiming to get 1200 native, hardy, coastal plants in today, including Lomandra, Banksia, Tea tree, kangaroo grass, sedges, native daisies and Themeda grasses.
‘‘These will provide food sources for animals, new habitat and will encourage lizards and insects, which will bring in native birds.”
