Students from Maidens Park Primary School were among several local schools that have been busy planting more than 4000 seedlings at Tuart Brook reserve in Usher this week.
Maidens Park Primary, Dalyellup Bushranger Cadets, Newton Moore Special-Needs Unit and Newton Moore Bushrangers have been reconnecting with nature over the past couple of weeks by planting the trees at the reserve.
The South West Catchments Council (SWCC) has been working with community volunteers to rehabilitate the site over the past four years, with the intention to restore wildlife habitat and foster community stewardship.
As well as tree planting, they have also installed a fence to prevent illegal access, installed signage and undertaken weed control.
SWCC’s biodiversity manager Pip Marshall shares the significance of working with young people.
“We’ve been planting here since 2013 and it’s always been kids doing all the work,” she said.
“It’s so important to get them involved and teach them about nature and the environment and conservation.”
“We aim to engage students in planting native seedlings to improve their wellbeing, help reconnect them with nature and encourage them to be the future stewards of the Park area.”
Tuart Brook reserve is part of the proposed Preston River to Ocean Regional Park and forms an important natural bushland connection between Maidens Reserve and Manea Park.
The proposed Park, stretching is larger than Kings Park and provides important conservation and recreational areas for the Bunbury Community.
The planting at the site will provide habitat for many animals, including threatened species such as the Black Cockatoos and the Western Ringtial Possum.
This project is supported by the South West Catchments Council, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme and the City of Bunbury, with support from the Government of Western Australia.