As of May 2025, the Creating Canopies project has reached an impressive milestoneโover 153,298 native trees and shrubs planted across Greater Sydney since early 2023. This represents more than 75% of our ambitious 200,000-tree target for this funding round, which concludes at the end of 2025.
Making Sydney Cooler and Greener
The Creating Canopies initiative focuses on areas with low canopy cover, strategically increasing shade and evaporative cooling to combat urban heat. Beyond temperature regulation, these plantings enhance the beauty and liveability of our suburbs while creating vital habitat for native wildlife.
This ecological transformation is happening right in our own backyards, building on the success of the project’s first stage (2020-2022) which saw 100,000 native trees & shrubs planted despite challenges from COVID-19 lockdowns and La Niรฑa weather conditions.
Community Engagement at Scale
Creating Canopies has engaged over 5,000 volunteers across its lifetime, welcoming both first-time planters and experienced environmental stewards. The community response has been remarkable, with many volunteers returning to multiple events to contribute their time and energy, forming a growing community of people committed to a greener city.
Volunteer groups at Creating Canopies events have showcased an impressive breadth of the community, including:
- Religious and cultural groups
- Lions Clubs & other civic organisations
- Girl Guides
- Students from primary, homeschooling, high school, and university settings
- Environmental organisations
- International students
- Corporate volunteering teams from dozens of organisations including Microsoft, Google, McKinsey & Company, Atlassian, Westpac and many others
This is on top of working with over 20 Councils across Greater Sydney and numerous private landowners.
This collaborative approach has seen us to work across LGA boundaries, enabling ecological restoration at a landscape scale rarely seen in urban settings, with an impressive level of community engagement.
Get Involved in the Final Push
While we celebrate the progress of Creating Canopies, the job isn’t finished yet. Several plantings are scheduled in the coming months of 2025 to reach our final targetโand we need your help to make it happen.
Visit Greater Sydney Landcare’s Eventbrite page to find and register for upcoming plantings in your area. No experience necessaryโjust bring your enthusiasm (and closed shoes) and we’ll provide everything else!
In an era dominated by environmental pessimism, Creating Canopies offers a refreshing alternativeโa tangible way for anyone in Greater Sydney to contribute to positive change. By working together, we’re writing a more hopeful story for our city and creating a greener, cooler, and greater Sydney for future generations.
We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has participated so far, and we look forward to welcoming you at our upcoming planting events as we push toward that 200,000-tree goal.
About Creating Canopies
Creating Canopies is run in partnership by Landcare NSW and Greater Sydney Landcare, as part of the Greening our City program to help mitigate urban heat in Greater Sydney. Proudly funded by the NSW Government.
