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Other Activities

Councils often have the capability to do much more than just plant trees. There are many ways councils can engage in the community by providing interesting and insightful activities for the local residents. For ideas on additional activities read on or download our Council Activities guide below.

Team with local schools

Schools Tree Day is a great chance for councils to support local schools in their green initiatives. Many are often in need of advice on where to plant, what to plant and how to ensure their survival. A bushcare officer could give a presentation covering this information, while also providing valuable insight into the local area.

It doesn't have to be a one-way relationship. Students are often willing to provide ongoing help in regeneration programs you already have in place, or would like to implement.

You could also begin a Tree Troopers program, if you haven't started one already. This is a great way to get students to do the teaching and the learning. A small group of students from each school would be asked to attend a training session, run by a bushcare member. The students would then go back to their school and teach other students.

For the Kids

Your tree-planting site can incorporate a whole range of activities that are fun for kids and family.

  • Hold a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt - find templates here

  • Print and distribute the Nature Explorer's Logbook (3.87 MB pdf download) - children can wander the site, logbook in hand, sketching, filling in the gaps and describing the native wildlife they see and hear.

  • Make pots of papier mache - using unwanted paper of course!

  • Ask them to do a tree count of the site - how many are there? What kind are they? Fully grown or newly planted? Native or introduced?

  • Make an artwork out of man-made materials that haven't been disposed of properly e.g. aluminum cans, scrap paper etc.

  • Consider inviting a mobile zoo to the site - a fully enclosed zoo could be set up on-site, full of native reptiles and animals.

For the Gardeners

Give your volunteers something they can take home.

  • Coordinate with your community nursery and hold a native plant and mulch giveaway. The nursery may even be interested in having a stall for promotion of their other products

  • Set up some composting or worm farming workshops. You could even supply subsidised worm farms or compost bins. Invite local suppliers to attend and perhaps set up a stall on site.

  • A Tree Day site can be a great opportunity for local green groups and suppliers to promote their services and goods by setting up stands to draw people's interest.

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