By Romy Stephens
A group of families from the Yarra Ranges gathered at the first-ever Growing Together Tree Planting Day on 15 September at the Lilydale Lake.
The event, hosted by Yarra Ranges Council, saw about 30 families from across the region join with Councillors, other residents and community groups and plant native plants near the lake.
The day began with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony performed by Wurundjeri Woman Julie Coombs.
Families took part in the smoking ceremony before heading off to start planting.
The Rotary Club of Lilydale helped organise the event and ran a sausage sizzle.
Rotary President Ann Wheeler said about 400 trees were planted in fine conditions and that the day was a great opportunity for local families to meet.
“The whole idea of it was for people who live in the Shire who’ve had a baby in the last 12 months,” she said.
“I spoke to quite a few of the families and they said they planted 10 or more plants.
“Not a lot of people knew each other prior to the day, but they were all having a chat.
“It was a great thing to be a part of.”
According to Yarra Ranges Council, the planting day was organised to provide a space for new families to meet one another, get people involved with their local environment and help parents find out more about their community.
