By DAN RYAN
As Paul Kelly reminded us, from little things, big things grow: and Cowra residents turned up in great numbers to plant a seed for future generations on National Tree Day.
Rod Hayes and Mark Tucker of Cowra Council were among council staff on hand to help residents with any advice or assistance distributing over 700 different trees. With the stall open into the afternoon; many residents were filing along and picking up young seedlings.
Rod and Mark both said the event continues to benefit from big turnouts year after year with Cowra's green thumbed residents filing along the stall atop Bellevue Hill.
"We've had it going for many years, its been popular." said Rod, adding "There's about 24 different varieties of shrubs, smaller plants all the way up to eucalypts so we can cater to people's different needs. It's a great opportunity to encourage people to think about planting natives, especially bird attractors, not only are you putting in new plants but in the long run you're helping create a home," he said.
The National Tree Day event provides an opportunity for environmental enthusiasts to connect with nature and learn the importance of preserving our natural resources. Residents turned up to plant a legacy for generations to come, as well as learn about the importance of taking care of the environment.
The nationwide event, originally founded by Planet Ark in 1996, says Australians have planted over 28 million trees and plants.
Resident Clarissa Fryer has just renovated her house and had some budding young landscapers wanting to make an impact, "The kids want to bring some wildlife into the yard, as well as some colour. So we just thought we'd come down and get some bottle brushes and see what they have here." she said, with a bag full of native plants to go.
For Rod at Cowra Council, the event and simple act of planting a tree doesn't need too much of a reason to help people get outside and discover a new interest.
"I don't want to sound corny, but it might plant a seed that people might like gardening - and if they do like it -- they might go and do some more. The idea is to encourage people to be more involved. Of course, land owners can get in touch with Landcare as well to help further," he said.
With a diverse range of native wildlife, especially bird life in Cowra and the Central West, Rod and Mark were quick to point out the benefits of creating habitats for all creatures great and small in the region.
"Trees are not just important when they're alive, but hollowed out dead trees also provide a home for native animals," said Rod.
"It's not a negative to have a dead tree, people might think 'oh it's dead let's get rid of it' if you have hollows in the trees and so on - these trees in 60-80 years can be a home." he said.