Over 300 planters descended on Bressington Park in Homebush on Sunday and rolled up their sleeves for a record National Tree Day community effort.

The commitment of the community planters, assisted by Council staff, saw 6,000 native grasses, trees, and shrubs planted on the day – well in excess of Council’s target and a record for National Tree Day events in the Strathfield area.

Volunteer planters included nearly 70 students from the Hwa Tsang Buddhist Monastery in Homebush, members of the Strathfield Chinese Adventist Church, and volunteers from the Strathfield Sathya Sai group.

The proximity of the park to the DFO retail complex saw many bargain hunters abandon their shopping plans and join in the planting efforts to do their bit for the environment. For many, it was a great family day out, with volunteers enjoying the free children’s activities and BBQ provided by Strathfield Rotary after they finished planting.

Strathfield Council was pleased to see so many people spending time outdoors with family and friends, enjoying local parks and reconnecting with nature.

The 2015 National Tree Day theme, “You Can Grow So Much”, highlights the benefits of engaging with nature to individuals, communities and the environment.

Aside from enhancing the parkland, the new plants will assist with improving the habitat value of the area. Bressington Park is located in the high priority biodiversity corridor of Powells Creek to Homebush West. The site is part of the Parramatta River Habitat project, which over the past year has revegetated over 50,000m2 of native vegetation to increase the connectivity across seven high value sites in the catchment area.

The plantings in Bressington Park are reinforcing the connection between core bird populations at Newington Nature Reserve in Sydney Olympic Park and Rookwood Cemetery in Auburn, allowing them to move more easily between these locations.

Council would like to thank all of the volunteers who participated for their efforts.