Volunteers are desperately being sought for the Waratah Wetlands Planting Day being held this Sunday, June 5 as part of Orange Sustainable Living Week.

The event offers the opportunity for those who think globally, to act locally, in helping to improve the environment in which we all live.

“The planting day is at the big dam up near Waratah’s Sports grounds; but we’re desperately in need of volunteers… everyone’s welcome,” Event Organiser, Bill Josh from Habitat Connect said.

“You only need to wear outdoor clothing, covered shoes, and gloves, if you don’t want to get your hands dirty, and we’ll be having a barbecue afterwards,” he added.

The Day is also part of Orange City Council’s “Parks Alive” program aimed at regenerating degraded green spaces.

But Bill volunteer numbers have dropped off in recent times, Bill said.

“We normally do one a month, one day of community planting, sometimes two, since we’re catching up from the pandemic lockdowns,” he said.

“We do them at places like Nelson Park, Gosling Reserve, Clergate Road, and other little parks around the place.”

Bill has observed however that, post-pandemic, some locals still seem reluctant to volunteer as they have in the past.

“Since COVID finished, it’s hard to get people out to things that wouldn’t have been a worry in the past,” he said.

“But it’s outdoors and a fully COVID-controlled event with social distancing and all other rules observed.”

Bill added that these hands-on and practical experiences are the ideal way for those concerned about the environment to do something positive and of direct benefit, while enjoying the great outdoors and the company of like-minded people.

“It’s planting both mature trees and shrubs and tubestock; we might plant a total of 120–150 in a day, it all depends, but it’s all good fun,” he said.

“It’s about revegetating areas that have been cleared over the past years, trying to get them back to something like their original state,” Bill concluded.

The event is one of a wide variety of projects being offered as part of the Rotary Club of Orange-sponsored Week that is designed to raise awareness of environmental and climate issues in the local community.

Other sponsored projects have included last Sunday’s Sustainable Living Expo and a high school sustainable cooking competition. 

Still to come this week are an electric vehicles “show and ride day” with EV owners and a guided walk of the Ploughmans Creek Wetlands Walk.

For more information or to volunteer, call Bill Josh on 0407 256 791, or email: goodoo444@gmail.com.

And for Sustainability Week updates, visit www.facebook.com/rotarycluboforange