Helping improve Croydon’s biodiversity one tree at a time

By Mikayla van Loon

National Arbor Day is scheduled for late July, with local events popping up in the outer east.

For those looking to take part in an event in urban areas, Maroondah City Council will be hosting a tree planting event just over the border in Croydon to re-vegetate the Tarralla Creek Trail on Sunday 28 July.

Maroondah Mayor Kylie Spears said the council’s bush management team would provide 4000 native plants to help “enhance the area’s biodiversity and create more habitat for our native wildlife”.

“(This) will provide additional habitat and support for local species to access essential resources such as food, water and shelter,” she said.

“The new plants will not only enhance the visual amenity of Tarralla Creek, but will also help support the functioning of the wetlands ecosystem, improving the resilience of the local habitat.”

Having worked to improve the Tarralla Creek wetlands alongside Melbourne Water since 2020, the renaturalization aimed to introduce more than 80,000 ephemeral, terrestrial and aquatic plants to the space.

Council modeling has identified Tarralla Creek as one of eight ‘biological linkages’ – an important habitat corridor for Maroondah’s wildlife – making the tree-planting day another step in encouraging natural regeneration of fauna and flora.

With Tarralla Creek extending from Croydon through Croydon South and then connecting with Bungalook Creek in Heathmont, Cr Spears said it was creating a “vital local habitat corridor”.

This corridor allows fauna and flora to move between other patches, either on private property or bushland, supporting local wildlife populations.

“As the vegetation and wetland in Tarralla Creek matures, we expect to see more nature attracted to the Croydon region,” Cr Spears said.

“We’re already seeing waterfowl that weren’t previously seen in this area now present in the wetlands, which is exciting to see.”

Hosting a National Tree Day event last year, Cr Spears said she saw an incredible 200 people get involved and could only expect this year “to be just as big”.

“Planting trees is a great way for the local community to connect and contribute to the local environment. It gives a sense of meaningful contribution and it’s rewarding to see the tree you’ve planted grow,” she said.

“Being part of an event like this is a great starting point to get involved in your local community and we hope it encourages people to join their local bushland volunteer group.”

Co-hosting with First Friends of Dandenong Creek and Friends of Tarralla Creek brings “specialist local knowledge” and an opportunity for potential members to learn about environmental offerings in their area.

With so many benefits coming from just one day of effort, Cr Spears said he hoped to see a lot of people there, but sign-ups were essential.

“The National Arbor Day event is a great opportunity for council to engage residents in important environmental conservation efforts and facilitate positive social interactions within the community.

“Looking after the local environment provides a sense of pride and ownership in the community. The event enhances the natural environment, facilitates educational opportunities for children, strengthens social connection and allows the community to connect with nature to improve mental and physical well-being.”

The event starts at 10am at Eastfield Park, entering from the south end of Lusher Road, with environmental stalls and children’s activities also on offer. Visit the Maroondah Council website for more information.