THIS Sunday is National Tree Day – Australia’s biggest community tree planting event and a day for all Lithgow district residents to join with people across Australia to help out by planting native trees and shrubs at a Tree Day site in their local area.

Lithgow in the past has been a great supporter of Tree Day that is proudly sponsored by Toyota and the AMP Foundation.

Each year, around 200,000 Australian school students participate in a special National Tree Day event designed just for children — Schools Tree Day — and once again schools around the district have been out and about planting trees.

National Tree Day seeks to inspire, educate and recruit Australians to actively care for our unique land and create future generations of committed environmental custodians.

The major event for Tree Day in the local area will be a mass planting in the Wolgan Valley, organised by Lithgow-based Australian Ecosystems Foundation.

The planting will take place on part of the Wollemi Nature Reserve where Australian Ecosystems is in the process of creating a wildlife corridor to join two wilderness areas across an old cattle property.

Volunteers joining in will be treated to a free barbecue lunch.

The site is about 20 km along the Wolgan Road from the Castlereagh Highway intersection at Lidsdale.

Turn right at the Australian Ecosystems sign marked by balloons, go through the gate and follow the road to the river.

The activity starts at 10 am.

Bring a picnic rug and a thermos of hot water for your tea or coffee.

Further information is available from Trevor Evans on 6351 4515.