Damien Babic from Bunnings and student Sarah planted vegetable gardens at Marysville Primary School.
By Mara Pattison-Sowden
SCHOOLS and community groups from across the Yarra Valley have been busy getting down to earth by planting trees and growing vegetable gardens.
Students have been learning about the importance of food sources and habitat requirements of the native animals and the importance of preserving natural areas.
Upper Yarra Secondary College students went out to a property near Yarra Glen to plant more than 250 trees for wind breaks for a bushfire-affected farm.
Members of the Upper Yarra Community House Oonah Pathways program helped plant trees along the Yarra River track in Warburton.
Wilwarra Primary School students have also been planting along the Yarra River near Millgrove.
Marysville Primary School children were taught how to grow vegetables and herbs so that they can maintain their new vegetable gardens.
And Toolangi Primary School students, teachers and parents have been replanting part of the Murrindindi Scenic Reserve with more than 1000 native seedlings in the Cassinia Camping Area which was devastated by the Black Saturday bushfires.
Greening Australia has played a big part in providing tools and expertise, and many of the days were funded by the Yarra Ranges Council Target 25,000 and Ribbons of Green tree planting programs.
Seedlings from the Melbourne Museum Forest Gallery were donated to the Toolangi Forest Discovery Centre for the Toolangi students.
Many other environmental and community groups have donated their time and expertise to these projects.
