A team of 50 residents planted 500 plants in just one hour at Moore Reserve, Oatley recently.
The volunteers gathered at Moore Reserve in Oatley recently to ‘green up’ the recreational space, after Georges River Council granted $750 to Oatley Flora and Fauna Conservation Society.
The society used the funding to purchase native plants for the mass planting and an additional 124 plants were donated from Georges River Council’s Bushcare Nursery.
Georges River Councillor Sandy Grekas, who allocated the $750 from the Councillor’s Discretionary Ward Fund and volunteered on the day, said that the event was a great success and admired the commitment of community members to their local environment.
“We had a wonderful turnout at the volunteer event, with 50 local residents planting 500 plants in just one hour,” Cr Grekas said.
“It was great to see so many community members passionate about the environment, and dedicated to keeping our green spaces flourishing in the Georges River suburbs.”
Oatley Flora and Fauna Conservation Society Inc. president Graham Lalchere said the funding has helped to progress the organisation’s goal to ‘green up’ the Georges River area, and would create additional habitat for native wildlife.
“Oatley Flora and Fauna Conservation Society was very pleased to further our aim of greening our local area, when we were offered a grant of $750 from Georges River Council,” he said.
“When these plants mature they will also provide welcome habitat for our local birds and small animals.
“It was a great community effort by all concerned and shows how local residents can come together to benefit our area.”
The environmentally-minded community group planted a mixture of local plant species including small trees, shrubs and grasses as well as Hop Goodenia- Goodinea Ovata, which is an endangered species of the area.
Council’s Bushcare Program has established an additional 3,500 plants in Georges River reserves in 2018, including a mixture of trees, shrubs and grasses.
Georges River Council’s Bushcare Program will be offering more volunteer tree-planting opportunities. Contact Bushcare on 02 9330 6270 for more information.