A KILMORE group of green thumbs recently held a seed planting day at the community garden as part of the TreeProject.
The TreeProject gets urban and rural communities working together to put trees back on the land as the non-for-profit recruits volunteers to help rural landholders and Landcare groups access affordable and reliable forest revegetation.
Since its inception in 1989, the TreeProject has sown more than 2 million trees across Victoria.
The Kilmore Community Garden Inc. President Tina Considine and Fiona McGettigan kickstarted the growth of 336 plants.
“The Treeproject is important because we want to support communities in a horticultural sence that may be affected by bushfires,” Mrs McGettigan said.
Volunteers received training in January to propagate and care for an assortment of Indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses at the Community Garden in Union Street.
A working bee was held in January to set up nursery tables, a watering system and a sun protection canopy. On Valentine’s Day volunteers began the next TreeProject chapter – sowing seven varieties of seeds between 48 tubes to grow snugly in polystyrene boxes, including tall timbers eucalyptus polyanthemos (red box) and eucalyptus dive (peppermint gum).
“When you think about it the trees we hopefully raise will go onto produce seeds of their own. I just love the thought that perhaps our group might be responsible for a few extra trees in the world,” Mrs McGettigan said.
A watering roster has been created as a volunteer is required to turn on the tap and the plants are a just a week old, but doing well.
When the seedlings mature, they will be collected and planted by the property owner in collaboration with volunteers keen to see damaged ecosystems restored across the Ovens Landcare Network.