Community tree opportunities

National Tree Day happens each year in winter and is a combined Government and community based native planting initiative to improve habitats around Australia.

The City of Parramatta hosts one of Australia’s largest National Tree Day community planting events each year, more recently attracting over 1,000 volunteers annually. These volunteers plant indigenous native trees, shrubs and groundcover plants, to provide valuable habitat for our local wildlife and to improve our urban forest.

Over the last 10 years, Parramatta residents have planted more than 80,000 native trees and plants across various National Tree Day project sites throughout the LGA including Upjohn Park in Ermington, Third Settlement Reserve in Winston Hills and Ponds Subiaco Reserve in Dundas.

The Free Tree Day program has been running for over 15 years and has provided over 20,000 native and exotic plants that residents have planted in their gardens to improve the urban forest and to provide habitat for local wildlife especially local insect and bird pollinators.

The Free Tree Days happen annually on the first Saturday of March and September at Council’s Native Nursery located at Cowells Lane Reserve Ermington. Council’s Free Plant Day that occurs in March will be postponed until September 2022. The September event will include additional plants and a new event format.

Residents will need to bring evidence that they are a City of Parramatta resident (for example rates notice, pet registration or drivers licence). It is a first come first served event with approximately 1000 native seedlings available.

Residents can request for a tree to be planted on the nature strip in front of their property.

This request will be reviewed by a member of our Open Spaces team who will consider a range of factors including the size of the nature strip, power lines and underground services, driveway, parking and footpath locations, and other trees within the streetscape.

A decision can then be made relating to the site being suitable for a tree to be planted and what type of tree.

How to submit a request

Go to the Online Services Portal, select submit a request, select Trees on Council land button and fill in the request with your details.

Bushcare is a volunteer-based, environmental conservation program coordinated and supported by the City of Parramatta.

Bushcare volunteers meet once a month at local bushland reserves to help improve the habitat value of the reserve through weed removal, tree planting, watering, habitat monitoring, and bush regeneration activities.

There are many benefits of being a Bushcare volunteer including:

• Learning about your local, natural environment 
• Meeting like-minded people
• Learning new skills, from qualified and passionate bush regenerators
• Protecting and caring for the environment 
• Being active outdoors
• Participating in informative and interactive flora and fauna workshops

Bushcare volunteers will receive training and are covered by insurance. Each Bushcare activity is attended and coordinated by Council staff.