Hobsons Bay National Tree Day 2019 on Sunday 28 July was an outstanding success with 400 + community members joining with Friends of Lower Kororoit Creek (FOLKC) to plant nearly 3000 indigenous trees, shrubs and wetland plants along the Kororoit Creek environmental corridor.

This year the planting took place on the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust land bounded by Dohertys Road, Grieve Parade and Kororoit Creek and where landscaping of the area on and below an escarpment that would have had the Creek, probably before European settlement, flowing beneath it. The rocky escarpment, a wetland, the original creek watercourse and the Creek riparian were all individually planted, and the Mount St. Joseph’s Girls planted out three garden beds at the entry to the Toyota Nature Reserve at the bottom of Dohertys Road.

Edvardo, along with his compatriot Anthony, was on hand to entertain with his trusty accordion as the trees were planted and lots of activities and lots and lots of food courtesy of Cedar Meats was consumed by the exhausted planters.

Many special guests including Hon Jill Hennessy MP, Hon Melissa Horne MP, David Cadzow from Toyota, Sarah Eggleton from Melbourne Water and our Mayor, Jonathon Marsden were on site to respond to Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust Chair, Geoff Mabbett’s speech re the future of the culturally significant planting site.

On behalf of FOLKC, I thank all the people who were on site for their contribution towards the development of the Kororoit Creek corridor.