Across June and July, Trees For Life is partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation and FedEx to plant 2,500 trees on bushfire-affected properties in the Adelaide Hills. In addition, volunteers will plant native species local to the hills region over five events to help landholders restore vegetation lost in the Cudlee Creek fire.
By restoring what was lost, these native plants play an important part in the process of bushfire recovery by providing habitat for wildlife, shelter for stock, and supporting the health and resilience of the landscape.
“During the Black Summer Bushfires, we experienced such an outpouring from the community, including locally, across other parts of Australia and internationally. We know from talking with people who were impacted by the fires that losing vegetation they’d planted, cared for and loved over many years was heartbreaking,” said Amelia Hurren, Bush For Life Program Manager.
“Thanks to support from the Arbor Day Foundation, these bushfire recovery planting days will bring together the wider community with landholders who lost so much during the fires, to help them with the long process of recovery and rebuilding their lives, homes and habitats in the Adelaide Hills.”
The Arbor Day Foundation, based in Nebraska, reached out to Trees For Life after seeing the devastation caused by the bushfire in December 2019.
“We are proud to support bushfire recovery in South Australia. The Arbor Foundation reached out to Trees For Life immediately after the fires to communicate our desire to help, as timeliness is essential to proper planting after wildfires,” said Dan Lambe, president, Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees are so vital for a healthy environment and healthy communities.”
Bushfire Recovery Planting Days are on 16 and 26 June, 10, 22 and 30 July 2021 between 9.00 am and 3.30 pm.
To get involved, contact Trees For Life on 8406 0500 or email [email protected].
The Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery program, an international program underwritten by FedEx and Foundation members, aims to replace trees in communities affected by natural disasters throughout the United States. The program has held more than 1,050 events, distributing more than 5.3 million trees since its inception. To donate to the recovery efforts supported by this campaign or others across the country please visit arborday.org/recovery.