One of the largest community tree planting and cultural care events in the Tweed will be held this weekend as part of a special project aimed at restoring natural habitat at a historic property.
Tweed Shire Council is inviting residents to come along to the event which will have a full program of activities on offer including tours, storytelling, the Tweed Regional Museum on Wheels’ Kynnumboon Exhibition and an Aboriginal welcome to country and smoking ceremony.
The event will mark National Tree Day and falls within NSW Local Government Week, which showcases the breadth of services offered by local governments in the state.
Around 800 rainforest trees will be planted on the day along with more than 1,500 shrubs and groundcover plants surrounding a special wetland constructed on the property.
Restoring rainforest and wetland habitat
The planting site is part of Council’s Bringing back flying-fox habitat to the Kynnumboon floodplain project, an eight-year program that is restoring rainforest and wetland habitat on the banks of the Rous River.
When completed, more than 10,000 native plants will be planted across 3.2 hectares of ex-sugar cane land.
Tweed resident Beverley Fairley’s family has owned the farm at Kynnumboon since 1862 when her great-grandfather, Joshua Bray, settled there. The Rous River and its forest formed the backdrop to three generations of Beverley’s family.
Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry encouraged the community to come together and join in what promises to be a fantastic day out. ‘Council and the community have always supported National Tree Day events and this year is no exception. It is wonderful to be able to invite the community to help us restore native forest at this very important historic site at Kynnumboon,’ she said.
The whole family can get involved
Cr Cherry says this year’s event is extra special with activities and events planned for the whole family to get involved in. She has invited everyone to, ‘come along and learn more about our internationally significant environment and be part of one the biggest restoration projects in the Tweed.’
Planting holes will be pre-dug and staked to make planting easy. Volunteers are asked to bring planting tools, a wheelbarrow or tub and mulch fork or shovel for spreading mulch and some morning tea to share. In between planting, there will be a range of activities for all ages.
On the day, participants will be able to sit down with Beverley Fairley and hear about the wonderful diverse creatures that visit her Kynnumboon property, from her children’s picture book Adventures in the Little Forest, illustrated by Leith Walton.
Enjoy guided walks through the remnant riparian rainforest with ecologist and field botanist Dave Conder and Judy Lamos, another descendant of Joshua Bray. Both have been heavily involved in restoring remnant vegetation at Kynnumboon over the past 20 years.
Learn about local flora, fauna and threatened species
Residents will also be able to learn more about local flora, fauna and threatened species with Council’s environment and sustainability team.
Get up close with the Tweed Regional Museum on Wheels and their exquisite collection of historical images of Kynnumboon’s forest, home life and people through the ages.
Bring along a blanket or chairs to enjoy a picnic surrounded by stunning views with tasty food, treats, coffee, tea and drinks available for purchase.
This project is assisted by the NSW government through its Environmental Trust in association with Local Government NSW.
The event will take place this Saturday, 5 August, from 9 am to 2 pm.
The event is family-friendly and disability accessible. Registrations are essential – visit treeplantingkynnumboon.
For more information on Council’s ‘Bringing back flying-fox habitat to the Kynnumboon floodplain’ project, contact Council’s Project Officer – Waterways, Matthew Bloor on 02 6670 2400 or [email protected].
For more information on Local Government Week events, visit tweed.nsw.gov.au/LGWK.
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