Growing the west with 4000 more trees

Green thumbs are invited to roll up their sleeves and help plant 4000 native plants at Ingliston, what is the 14th annual Grow West Community Planting Day.
This is one of Grow West’s biggest events and is an important opportunity to rejuvenate and restore local landscapes. Over the past 15-years, Grow West has worked with thousands of volunteers and hundreds of landholders, who have helped plant over one-million trees in Moorabool’s and Melbourne’s west.
This year, the planting day will be held at two adjoining properties in Ingliston, totalling 123-hectares. The properties adjoin W. James Whyte Island Reserve (The Island) and are only a stone’s throw from the Werribee Gorge State Park.
Property owners, Rick and Nadia and Bill and Airlie, both purchased the properties five years ago and have a clear vision for restoring the landscape.
“We wish to create a forested habitat for half of the property and improve the pasture on the other half using regenerative agriculture for the other half all with the intention of radically improving our soil carbon levels,” Bill and Airlie said.
Rick and Nadia said they love the rugged landscape, native birdlife, views for miles and remote feeling.
“We’d love to leave it in a better state than when we purchased.”
Grow West Coordinator, Helena Lindorff is excited to be holding the day at a location that will directly benefit the Werribee Gorge State Park through nature corridors that will be established on private properties.
“It is an ambitious project and by participating in the 2019 planting day you’ll be helping to reform this important nature corridor for threatened wildlife such as the Swift Parrot and Brush-tailed Phascogale,” she said.
The event has been funded through the Greening the West – 1 Million Tree program, which is part of the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, and Melbourne Water’s Stream Frontage Program. The project creates a unique opportunity to make substantial, wide ranging improvements to the liveability and sustainability of the west.
The Grow West Community Planting Day is on Sunday 21 July, 9.30am-4pm, at 155 Falcons Track, Ingliston (off Ingliston Rd) and refreshments will be provided (BYO cup and plate to help reduce waste).
For more information and to register visit growwest.com.au.