This year Australia celebrates 25 years since National Tree Day was initiated by Planet Ark and Olivia Newton John in 1996.
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Since then National Tree Day has been the largest community planting event on Australia's environmental calendar.
For 15 over 300,000 volunteers have rallied annually to plant trees at sites across the country.
Orange City Council has long been a supporter of National Tree Day.
A trip around our city will reveal flourishing examples of community plantings that have taken place on the day in previous years.
The results of previous National Tree Day planting events are evident around the the Ploughmans' Valley Wetlands, in the Bloomfield Bushland and the Lake Canobolas precinct.
This year will be no exception.
In 2021 Orange City Council will be hosting a community tree planting event which will take place this year at the drainage reserve between Abbey Court and McCormick Place.
There has been previous planting of vegetation by a community planting day held on the reserve on June 6, 2021 under Orange City Council's Parks Alive Program.
Approximately 200 grasses were planted.
It is hoped that an additional planting of 800 native plants will improve local biodiversity by providing harbor and habitat for native birds and animals.
The official date for National Tree Day is August 1.
Unfortunately, due to recent COVID precautions, our tree planting event will have to be postponed to a date to be announced.
When the new date is chosen, please come along and plant a tree.
As Roger Smith, our Council Natural Resources Co-ordinator says, "Residents are invited to come along and plant a tree to make our parks come alive."
Orange's love of trees and appreciation of our local public green space is frequently expressed.
National Tree Day is an opportunity for us all to be involved in an event which gives us the opportunity to be actively involved in a national program that seeks to increase the biodiversity, liveability, urban cooling and climate mitigation of our community.
It is unfortunate that despite the efforts of many , our trees continue to be under threat.
Both globally, nationally and locally.
They are under threat from climate change, deforestation, inappropriate development and legislation which does not provide adequate environmental protection.
These days it is not easy to be a tree.
They need all the help they can get.