On Saturday 21st June 2025, Greater Sydney Landcare hosted a Creating Canopies community planting day at Lynwood Golf and Country Club, welcoming 28 volunteers from across Sydney. Together, we planted 1,000 native trees and shrubs, contributing to a significant effort to increase native trees at the site.
A Big Week for Trees at Lynwood
This planting capped off a big week for Creating Canopies at the club in Pitt Town in the Hawkesbury LGA, following two earlier volunteer planting events. In the next week GSL staff installed further plants at Lynwood. In total, 3,064 native plants were added to the golf course in 2025 thanks to Creating Canopiesโcreating cooler green spaces, habitat for native wildlife, and a lasting legacy for the local community.
Learning About the Local Environment
The day was led by Creating Canopies Project Manager Danielle Hughes, Project Officer Alicia Harb-Akins, and Revegetation Officers Ryan Birtles and Eoin Marnellโwho joined us for his first planting day with GSL. Eoin also delivered an engaging environmental education talk, sharing insights about the Cumberland Plain, the ecological value of hollow-bearing trees, and why mulch is crucial for tree health.
Welcoming Volunteers from Across Sydney
As always, our volunteers brought energy, great vibes, care, and community spirit. We were delighted to welcome back familiar faces, including one group who generously shared their morning tea of homemade naan, yoghurt and chai. Lunch was provided for all, and the work was completed efficiently, leaving plenty of time for connection and conversation.
Positive Feedback from a Connected Community
The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. All respondents rated the day as โExcellent,โ and 100% strongly agreed that:
- The event was well organised
- Staff were helpful
- Catering met their expectations
- They felt engaged in the activities and connected to other volunteers
- The event positively contributed to their sense of social wellbeing
Hereโs what some of our volunteers said:
โVery well organised event, staff were helpful, and it was nice to connect with other community members while doing some good for the environment.โ
โโGreat team at Pitt Town today! The leading team were super informative, knowledgeableย and willing to share their experience and knowledge with everyone. Really happy to have been a part of today, would HAPPILY do this again.โ
โIt was really informative, the staff were very friendly, eager to instruct and teach, and I could tell they were genuinely passionate about what they do for the environment.โ
When asked what they enjoyed most, volunteers highlighted:
- Finishing the planting early and hearing an environmental talk on local eucalyptus species and the role of mulch
- Chatting with fellow uni students over hot drinks and snacks
- Meeting like-minded people and seeing the immediate impact of their efforts
- Learning about native flora and the wildlife it supports
While some reported that they felt a little unsure before the event about meeting new people, on the day they found the group welcoming, helpful and collaborative. Our awesome volunteers left with new knowledge about native species, the Cumberland Plain ecosystem, and how land restoration helps wildlife such as birds, marsupials and even koalas.
Stronger Together
We extend our sincere thanks to Lynwood Golf and Country Club for volunteering their land to help expand native canopy cover, and to every volunteer who helped make this planting such a success.
Volunteer for Bushcare in the Hawkesbury
If youโd like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Hawkesbury LGA, you can become a Bushcare volunteer and regenerate bushland. No experience is necessary as training is provided.
Get Involved in Creating Canopies
If youโd like to find out how to get free trees planted on your land, visit our Register Your Site for Trees page.
Come along and plant trees with Creating Canopies. Find out what events we have coming up on Greater Sydney Landcareโs Eventbrite page.
Find out more about Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare here. Be sure to download our Corporate Volunteering Info Pack.
About Creating Canopies
Landcare NSW and Greater Sydney Landcare are planting 300,000 trees between 2020-2025 as part of the Greening our City program to help reduce urban heat in Greater Sydney. Proudly funded by the NSW Government.
