On Saturday 1st March 2025, 54 volunteers took part in a successful Creating Canopies planting event in Emu Heights. This planting aimed to increase canopy cover to cool the area, restore native vegetation along the flood-prone banks of the nearby Nepean River (Blue Mountains side), and support local biodiversity.
A Collaborative Effort
This planting was run in partnership by Penrith City Council and Greater Sydney Landcare, at Emu Green Reserve.
Penrith City Council staff including Jessica Whittick โ Bushcare Program Officer led the day with Creating Canopies team members Bryce Doyle โ Natural Resource Manager, Alicia Harb-Akins โ Project Officer, and Michael Keith โ Revegetation Officer. This combined expertise ensured the planting was conducted effectively, with long-term ecosystem health in mind.
About Creating Canopies
This planting was part of Creating Canopies, a project of Landcare NSW and Greater Sydney Landcare to plant hundreds of thousands of native trees and shrubs across Greater Sydney to reduce urban heat in our city. Proudly funded by the NSW Government.
Restoring a Former Weed Patch
The planting site had been dominated by invasive privet weeds, which Penrith City Council removed in preparation for this event. A large colony of flying foxes roost in trees at the western edge of the planting. Hopefully in time the new planting will also provide habitat for native wildlife like this bat colony.
The volunteers braved the 31-degree hot day and successfully planted and guarded 1,000 native plants. These species were carefully selected to match the local Greater Sydney Enriched Grey Myrtle Dry Rainforest plant community type which is found in this area. The planting site was large, allowing considerable spacing for a mostly canopy species planting, setting the foundation for a thriving ecosystem.
The volunteers planted:
- Coast Myall (Acacia binervia) โ which can grow anywhere from 2 to 16 m high
- River Sheoak (Casuarina cunninghamiana) โ grows 15-35 m high
- Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna) โ grows to 50 m high
- Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coronata) โ small tree
- Native Rosella aka Toilet Paper Bush (Hibiscus heterophyllus) โ shrub or small tree
- Tick Bush (Kunzea ambigua) โ shrub to 3.5 m high
- Tea Tree (Leptospermum polygalifolium) โ shrub or tree
- Bottlebrush (Callistemon salignus) โ grows to 3-10 m high
- Lilly Pilly (Acmena smithii) โ shrub or tree
- Paperbarks (Melaleuca linariifolia, to 10 m high and Melaleuca stypheloides, to 20 m high)
Why This Planting Matters
This site plays an important role in increasing canopy cover in Western Sydney and supporting local biodiversity. The newly planted trees and shrubs will help to:
- Provide habitat for native wildlife, including birds and flying foxes
- Improve local air quality and soil health
- Help reduce urban heat and cool the area
- Strengthen the riparian zone along the Nepean River
Thank You to All Involved!
After a hard dayโs work, the volunteers enjoyed a well-deserved lunch of sandwiches and a few cheeky lollies for an energy boost! To cap off the event, a raffle giveaway was held, with two copies of Saving the Flying Fox given to lucky participants.
A massive thank you to everyone involved in making this event a success. Your efforts will leave a lasting impact on the local environment and community for years to come.
Volunteer for Bushcare in Penrith
If youโd like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Penrith 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 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.
About Creating Canopies
Landcare NSW and Greater Sydney Landcare are planting 300,000 trees by the end of 2025 as part of the Greening our City program to help reduce urban heat in Greater Sydney. Proudly funded by the NSW Government.
