On a sunny Friday 19th September 2025, Greater Sydney Landcare welcomed a team from Givaudan for a corporate volunteering day at McCoy Park, Toongabbie, in partnership with the City of Parramatta.
Seven volunteers, including one volunteer’s six-year-old daughter, planted an impressive 368 native trees and shrubs, along with 1,000 grasses and groundcovers.
Why McCoy Park Matters
McCoy Park sits where Blacktown Creek meets Toongabbie Creek. These creeks flow through one of the most modified corridors in the Upper Parramatta River Catchment, with long stretches confined to concrete channels.
While Blacktown Creek scored a D (poor) in Council’s 2022 waterway health report, it improved to a C (fair) in the most recent assessment — showing that restoration work like this, amongst other measures, can make a tangible positive difference.
Boosting Waterway Health
Planting vegetation close to the creek helps stabilise its banks and improve water quality. Native grasses, shrubs and groundcovers slow and filter runoff, while deep-rooted species absorb water, reduce erosion, and trap sediments and pollutants before they reach the stream.
The plantings also create habitat for local wildlife. NSW Government SEED maps records show species such as Peron’s Tree Frog, the Striped Marsh Frog, the Common Eastern Froglet and the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog frequent the area as do Red-bellied Black Snakes and various native birds.
Restoring Native Woodland
The plants chosen came from the Cumberland Shale Plains Woodland, a plant community type native to this part of Sydney. Volunteers added a rich variety of species including gum trees (eucalypts), paperbarks (melaleucas), wattles (acacias), Tick Bush (Kunzea ambigua), Native Peach (Trema tomentosa), Rice Flower (Ozothamnus diosmifolius), Dillwynias, Coffee Bush (Breynia oblongifolia), Hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa), Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa), and Australian Indigo (Indigofera australis).
This planting built on earlier work at the site. Greater Sydney Landcare has brought corporate volunteering teams for restoration work in McCoy Park twice before. This area was previously cleared of invasive weeds including Lantana, Yellow Cestrum, Balloon Vine, Mulberry, and Bidens by Greater Sydney Landcare and corporate volunteers in April 2025 and so was ready for native revegetation.
A History of Partnership
This was Givaudan’s fourth time volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare.
- In 2022, Givaudan joined Greater Sydney Landcare to restore Rydalmere’s Upjohn Park.
- In 2023, Givaudan volunteers worked with us at Speers Road Reserve in North Rocks, planting 100 native trees and shrubs and tackling weeds including asparagus fern.
- In 2024, a Givaudan team helped Greater Sydney Landcare with bushcare and Streamwatch water quality monitoring at Milson Park in Westmead.
At McCoy Park in 2025, the day was guided by Greater Sydney Landcare staff including Creating Canopies Project Manager Danielle Hughes, Project Officer Alicia Harb-Akins and Revegetation Officer Ryan Birtles—along with bush regenerator Matt Allison who worked on the steeper slopes. Greater Sydney Landcare staff praised the Givaudan team as a fantastic group—fun, talkative, deeply appreciative, and bringing great energy to the day.
Team Effort for a Greener Future
After a productive morning of planting and watering, the group took time out to refuel with fruit, cakes and sandwiches. Over lunch, they reflected on their efforts, shared stories, and enjoyed the chance to relax together in the fresh air. The day offered not only a meaningful way to give back to the environment, but also an opportunity to for staff to strengthen team connections and unwind in nature.
Greater Sydney Landcare is grateful to the City of Parramatta for partnering on the restoration of McCoy Park, and to the team from Givaudan for their ongoing support for a healthier, greener Greater Sydney.
Volunteer for Bushcare in Parramatta
If you’d like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Parramatta 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.
About Creating Canopies
Landcare NSW and Greater Sydney Landcare are planting 300,000 trees as part of the Greening our City program to help reduce urban heat in Greater Sydney. Proudly funded by the NSW Government.
