On Saturday 10th May 2025, the banks of the Cooks River in Earlwood came alive with environmental action as 35 dedicated volunteers gathered for Greater Sydney Landcare’s Creating Canopies tree planting event. Together, we planted 500 native trees and shrubs, continuing vital work to increase canopy coverage and reduce urban heat island effects in Greater Sydney.
This planting focused on enhancing the riparian zone’s biodiversity—restoring habitat for native wildlife, supporting pollinators, and strengthening ecological resilience for the future.
Community in Action
The event drew an enthusiastic and diverse crowd, with most participants arriving early and eager to begin. By 9:15 AM, 30 volunteers were already on site, with more joining throughout the morning.
“It was a fun day with a massive turnout,” said Bryce Doyle, Greater Sydney Landcare’s Natural Resource Manager who led the event. “We had a really diverse group and a good mix of people.”
Among the participants were members of The Mudcrabs—Cooks River Eco-Volunteers—who contributed not only to the planting efforts but also conducted valuable bush regeneration work, removing invasive vines and other weeds from the surrounding area.
Bushcare Officer Peter Goss from the City of Canterbury-Bankstown delivered 90 native plants for the group to add to the site, including groundcovers and shrubs, and helped supervise the group.
The event took place in the same park used for the Cooks River Parkrun, drawing interest from runners, dog walkers, and locals keen to learn more about the planting and the Creating Canopies project.
Building on Success
This planting builds on previous Creating Canopies work at the same location. Just last year, on 8th June 2024, 46 volunteers joined us to plant 525 native trees and shrubs along this stretch of the Cooks River. Participants in this year’s event had the opportunity to see last year’s planting site—now thriving—offering an inspiring glimpse of what their newly planted area will look like in the coming year.
One volunteer remarked, “I liked connecting with nature and meeting new people. I liked seeing an older planting 200 metres up from where we were to see what the planting would look like in the future.”
Collaborative Conservation
The planting was completed efficiently, and by 11:30 AM the group was enjoying a well-earned lunch. Many participants stayed afterward to provide additional watering for the new plants. Nature contributed its part too—rain followed the event, helping the new plants establish themselves.
“All in all, it was a great planting—good weather, good energy, & fantastic group,” Bryce noted. The event also served as a first Creating Canopies planting for GSL’s newest Revegetation Officer, Ryan Birtles, who chatted with many volunteers throughout the day, sharing his knowledge and helping everyone feel welcome and supported.
Positive Impacts & Feedback
Volunteer feedback about the day was overwhelmingly positive, with 100% of respondents rating the event as excellent and agreeing that it was well-organised, that staff were helpful, and that the experience had positively impacted their social wellbeing.
Here’s what some volunteers had to say:
- “Such a great way to strengthen the riverbank diversity and to engage community.”
- “Excellent opportunity to enhance the environment.”
- “It was great. I really enjoyed the day and liked giving back to the community.”
Another volunteer commented, “Amazing, I felt such a connection with the whole event. I felt strong support, and generosity with the information from the three team leaders at the site.”
Participants particularly appreciated learning about native plants, the pre-dug holes that made planting easier, and the opportunity to socialise while contributing to environmental restoration.
“We learned about how long it takes these plants/shrubs to grow and how important the Creating Canopies project is for mitigating heat in Greater Sydney and also providing habitat and food for birds and wildlife,” one volunteer reflected.
Looking Forward
Many volunteers expressed enthusiasm for future events:
- “Keep up the good work. It was well attended, and people loved seeing the progress from last year’s planting.”
- “Well organised and structured—I really enjoyed being part of it.”
- “I hope the initiative continues.”
- “You’ve perfected these events. Volunteers were treated with kindness and given the information they needed. I’m proud and impressed. A big thank you—and see you next time!”
Thank You to All Involved!
Greater Sydney Landcare extends sincere thanks to the City of Canterbury-Bankstown for volunteering the site for increased tree coverage, helping to create cooler, greener communities across Greater Sydney. Special thanks also go to The Mudcrabs for their participation and to all the fantastic volunteers who made this event a success.
Join us for future Creating Canopies events and be part of creating a greener, cooler Greater Sydney.
Volunteer for Bushcare in Canterbury-Bankstown
If you’d like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA, you can become a Bushcare volunteer and regenerate bushland. No experience is necessary as training is provided.
Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare
Find out more about Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare here. Be sure to download our Corporate Volunteering Info Pack.
Get Involved in Creating Canopies
If you’d 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 Landcare’s Eventbrite page.
About Creating Canopies
Landcare NSW and Greater Sydney Landcare are planting 300,000 trees from 2020-2025 as part of the Greening our City program to help reduce urban heat in Greater Sydney. Proudly funded by the NSW Government.
