Seedlings planted
Currently in its' fourth year, the 'One Tree for Me' campaign aims to get 65,000 seedlings planted in our local area over a period of 6 years. That is one seedling for every resident. This will be achieved through a mix of activities including:
- Free seedling giveaways
- Community tree planting activities on community land
- Supporting schools through Planet Ark's Schools Tree Day campaign
The 'One Tree for Me' campaign is an action under Council's Biodiversity Strategy: Maldhangilanha 2020-2030. Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms; plants, animals, the genes they contain and the ecosystems in which they live. Species and ecosystems are interconnected and interdependent, and all people are reliant on ecosystem goods and services (food, water, health and recreation) delivered by the natural environment.
A key threat to biodiversity is the clearing of native vegetation. Replanting this vegetation across our area is an important step in repairing this damage and providing the habitat to restore populations of native fauna.
Our seedling giveaways are back for 2024
Our seedling giveaway campaign continues at the next event as follows:
Where: The Estella Shopping Centre, Estella
When: Thursday 15 August from 2pm until 6pm (or until all seedlings are given away).
We have carefully selected plants that are native to the local area and are suited to thrive in the Wagga climate. They’re also perfect for attracting our locally native birds and other pollinators into your backyard.
We run our giveaways through the colder months because this is the best time to get them in the ground and we choose different locations each time to spread them around to provide the best opportunity for everyone.
In August, we will be handing out the following seedling species:
A spectacular ground cover with purple pea flowers in spring and summer. Although accepting of heat, it is less adaptable to frost. Perfect for a pot or gardens in urban homes.
Size: 1m tall and 3m wide
A hardy low-maintenance perennial groundcover with silver-grey foliage and a profusion of golden button shaped flowers. It’s adaptable to most garden conditions and will tolerate hot conditions with regular watering. Is also good for rockeries and pots.
Size: 30cm tall and 50cm wide
A small erect or spreading shrub that enjoys a well-drained position. It will flower from July to September. Prune after flowering to maintain shape.
Size: from 1m to 3m tall
A hardy shrub that grows in full sun to part shade. It has pink flowers from late winter to summer. Prune back hard after flowering to maintain shape.
Size: It will grow to approximately 2m high.
A dense mounding shrub with profuse flowering from autumn through winter and on to spring. A great shrubbery plant that will attract small native bird. It grows in moist but well drained soil, tolerates medium frost levels and dry spells, sun to half shade.
Size: Up to 1m high.
Thank you to everyone who attended our previous giveaways.
In July, we handed out the following seedling species:
The adaptable Hop Bush responds well to pruning and can be used as a hedging plant. It has small red flowers in spring and is both drought and frost tolerant. It likes a well-drained soil and prefers full sun.
Size: Size: from 1m to 3m tall.
A hardy low-maintenance perennial groundcover with silver-grey foliage and a profusion of golden button shaped flowers. It’s adaptable to most garden conditions and will tolerate hot conditions with regular watering. Is also good for rockeries and pots.
Size: 30cm tall and 50cm wide
A grassy looking tuft that has a spray of purple flowers in Spring. An excellent species for rockeries, that is suitable for full sun or part shade. It will tolerate drought and a wide range of soils. It’s common name of ‘Chocolate lily’ refers to the scent of the flowers.
Size: Under 1m tall
An upright hardy shrub that flowers from Spring through Summer with a profusion of vibrant yellow flowers. It’s useful as a screen or hedge and grows well in moist but well-drained soil. It’s frost hardy and enjoys full sun or part shade.
Size: Up to 3m high
A small to medium shrub that will bloom from May to November with attractive clusters of flowers that are cream to green, with tinges of pink to red that last for several weeks. It will grow in half to full sun areas and once established is tolerant to dry periods. It is frost resistant and prefers well drained soils.
Size: Up to 1m high.
Backyard Biodiversity
Backyards are important spaces to support local biodiversity. Think of your backyard as a stepping stone or a land bridge that allows native animals to travel safely between larger areas of natural bushland. Your backyard can help feed, water and shelter animals.
Your backyard also supports millions of invertebrates such as bees, butterflies, worms and ants. Every creature working to keep the system in balance.
Top tips for creating backyard biodiversity:
- Plant species that flower at different times of the year so your garden is a source of food all year round
- Plant a variety of ground covers, shrubs and trees to provide shelter for the different kinds of animals that visit your garden
- Provide a water source, especially in summer, and include a spot for birds and bees to perch and safely drink using rocks and sticks
- Keep pet cats inside between dusk and dawn - the average roaming pet cat will kill 186 animals/year in Australia
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