By JESSE GRAHAM
Hundreds of years of history for trees, young and old…
RESIDENTS across the Yarra Valley reconnected with nature and some even got their hands dirty on Sunday as part of National Tree Day.
In Badger Creek, Mt Toolbewong and District Landcare Group held a tree-planting event along the banks of the Coranderrk Creek (also known as Badger Creek) over the morning.
A total of 11 people helped to plant about 300 indigenous trees, grasses and shrubs along the exposed creek bank and site co-ordinator Karen Garth said the day was great for helping the environment.
“This is a great opportunity to get out and do something healthy to improve our local community,” she said.
Ms Garth said the National Tree Day planting was part two of a three-stage planting plan to get 1100 indigenous plants along the creek bank area.
In Toolangi, a different type of tree day event was held, with the opening of the Kalatha Giant Tree Boardwalk in the Toolangi State Forest.
The event began early in the day, with soup, juice, tea and coffee being served at the Tanglefoot Car Park area in the forest.
Taungurung Elder Uncle Roy Patterson started the official proceedings, with a traditional smoking ceremony at 1pm that many community members took part in.
Following the smoking ceremony, just before 3pm, Mr Patterson held a Welcome to Country Ceremony before Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Heritage and Water Mark Butler officially opened the boardwalk.
Chairman of Healesville Environment Watch and Toolangi Resident Steve Meacher introduced Mr Butler and said he was the best person to open the Kalatha Giant Tree Boardwalk.
“This tree is around 400 years old,” he said.
“When the seed first germinated, James the First of Scotland had just come to the throne of England, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre has just burnt down and Captain Cook’s grandparents weren’t even thought of – that’s heritage.”
Mr Butler said he was glad to have flown down from Adelaide to Toolangi for National Tree Day.
“This is such a special place to be, particularly on national tree day,” he said.
“This boardwalk is a great idea, and a strong symbol of resilience.
“It’s also a great reflection of the community spirit in this area – a deep sense of awareness about the preciousness of the area.”
The Kalatha tree stands at around 43 metres tall. It has survived many bushfires and logging around the area, though it bears a large fire scar along its side.
The construction of the boardwalk has been in progress since shortly after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and was installed by the Department of Primary Industries (Formerly DSE).
Funding for the boardwalk came from the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund and the project was guided by Toolangi and Castella District Community House.
Seymour MP Cindy McLeish represented Pat McNamara from the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund and said the total money donated to the fund since the 2009 fires had been almost $400 million.
“That’s the single biggest charitable donation ever made in Australia,” she said.
“This project is one of very many that connect people to nature – funded through the generosity of so many.”
The forest around the Kalatha tree boardwalk is the home to the endangered Leadbeater’s possum, which favour older, hollow trees for habitat.
This year’s National Tree Day marks the 20-millionth tree planted as part of the annual event, since its beginning in 1996.
As part of the yearly event, Schools Tree Day is run shortly beforehand and encourages all schools to make a contribution to the environment.
This year’s School Tree Day was held on Friday 26 July.
