You would be excused if you thought that National Tree Day 2023 was held on a warm spring day. The sun was out, and the conditions were perfect!

With a sudden flurry of activity, the sites of Killcare Beach and Porters Creek were quickly transformed as marquees were assembled and educational materials decorated the tables. Signs were erected and plants were divvied into buckets to create kits for attendees to select for planting.

At Killcare Beach, our community of volunteers slowly but steadily assembled on the beach for a special Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony with Girri Girra. As green leaves of Yellow Bloodwood burned and the gentle waves of the ocean broke on the shoreline, we were all reminded of the stunning beauty of the landscape, that we are lucky to call home.

Soon the attendees sprawled across the dunes, with buckets and towels in hand, guided by our dedicated staff and Environmental Volunteers. Multigenerational family members worked side by side, vegetating bare pockets of dune, as they laughed and shared stories with one another. It was a solid day’s work, but it was fun!

We were amazed by the number and diversity of people that turned up to do their bit. The vibe around the displays and entertainment area was a big hit but honestly you couldn’t beat the view we had of the ocean and the sea of smiling faces across the dunes!

It was my first week in my new role as Landcare Officer and I couldn’t have picked a better time to join in on the action and work alongside this incredible team! (Suzie)

In addition to planting there was plenty to do for the whole family. Girri Girra followed the ceremony with a fascinating cultural heritage workshop. Ocean & Coastal Care Initiatives (OCCI) took participants on a rockpool ramble of the local rock shelf to find the weird and wonderful marine creatures calling Killcare home.

Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary was a hit with kids, and if snakes and animals weren’t your thing participants could wander through the information stalls set up by Council and many local environmental organisations such as the NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and The Marine Discovery Centre.

Dune vegetation plays an important role in the coastal zone by protecting dunes against the erosive forces of nature, wind and waves. Vegetation is also vital in providing crucial habitat and food sources for local native fauna. Foreseen as a multi-year site hopefully next year’s event will be able to build on the success of the 2023 event and continue to care for Killcare Beach dunes for years to come.

To kickstart the day at Porters Creek Wetland, Darkinjung provided an engaging and warm Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony amongst the Swamp Mahoganies.

Porters Creek Wetland is the largest remaining freshwater wetland on the Central Coast with a huge catchment and plays a critical role for water quality within Tuggerah Lakes. Funded and supported by Local Land Services, ongoing restoration works and planting events including National Tree Day have been valuable in providing critical habitat for endangered animals including Swift Parrots and Regent Honeyeaters at the site.

Throughout planting, there was a swarm of educational activities happening in and around Porters Creek Wetland. Kayakers were joined by Council’s waterways experts and enjoyed an aquatic adventure, paddling up Wyong River to Porters Creek to plant a tree. Participants in the bird walk and talk learnt about identifying local bird species and the importance of native habitat, and Animal Wildlife Displays engaged and wowed our community with some native and very cute furry and slimy animals.

Over 350 people planted over 2000 plants across both Killcare Beach and Porters Creek Wetland sites for National Tree Day 2023. Participants turned up to enjoy the beautiful weather, great live music supported by Central Coast Music and Arts, educational and kids activities, and most importantly to get their hands dirty helping their local environment.

A huge thank you again to all of our remarkable volunteers who assisted our staff and community with onsite planting. Planting events like these are also a great way for volunteers to contribute when they may not be able to make a regular environmental volunteering session.

Whilst the mini festival feel of the event helped with the success, the key objective of the day was to plant native species and help protect the local environment which was ultimately achieved. We look forward to growing the National Tree Day program in future years.

This article was written by Suzie German, Jenna Markwick and Ben Feltham, Environmental Volunteer Program Officers.