Trees and Schools

Child planting a tree

Are you a teacher or student interested in adding more plants to your school? Check out the tree planting programs available to help support you green your school.

National Schools Tree Planting Day

National Tree Planting Day is more than just planting trees. It’s about inspiring our communities to get into nature and grow, whether it’s planting at your local park, growing veggies in your backyard or school, or greening your workspace. We hold a National Tree Planting Day event to encourage the local community and families to plant trees and connect with their local environment, and we also encourage schools to host their own event.

How to get involved

National Tree Planting Day is an opportunity to get your school involved in planting trees, improving the natural environment and the biodiversity of school grounds.

We provide and deliver up to 50 native tree seedlings to participating schools. If your school has been planning or wanting to do a tree planting session for a while, but has either not had the time or resources to make it happen, this day is a great opportunity.

Schools can register their tree planting event on Planet Ark’s website, as well as accessing Planet Ark’s Schools Activity Guide and Schools Getting Started Guide.

Resources we provide

We will provide up to 50 bush tucker seedlings for your school’s planting day to school's located within Campbelltown Local Government during the month of July, annually.

Get in touch with our Environmental Education Officer open.space@campbelltown.nsw.gov.au if you are interested in registering your school.

Koalatown Certified Schools

Koalatown Certified Schools is a free education program targeted at primary and high schools in Campbelltown. Students explore koala habitat and discover the current threats and conservation measures they can take to help make Campbelltown and their school a Koala Friendly Community.

Participants in the Koalatown Certified Schools Program receive

  • A free koala conservation incursion/excursion with our Environmental Education Officer.
  • Curriculum linked lesson plans relating to the koala kids program.
  • Access to koala food trees to plant to enhance habitat on their school grounds or tree planting opportunities at key reserves to enhance koala habitat.
  • Once completed, schools will receive a Koalatown certified school sign.

Get involved

Contact our Environmental Education Officer for more information openspace@campbelltown.nsw.gov.au

Cooling the Schools

Greening Australia are working with students to add thousands of plants to community spaces and schools across Greater Sydney.

As students learn about and connect with nature, they’ll also be cooling their local neighbourhoods by increasing canopy cover, and creating habitat for plants and animals.

What benefits do participating schools receive?

Greening Australia’s Cooling the Schools project is all about giving children opportunities to connect with nature, and empowering them to take action alongside their communities to create greener, cooler places where both people and nature can thrive.

  • Site visit by Greening Australia staff to initiate co-design of planting area
  • Shade-bearing trees and shrubs, plus understorey plants that provide habitat for native pollinators
  • School planting day with curriculum-linked lesson delivered by Greening Australia education and field staff
  • NSW syllabus linked resources available through partnership with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
  • Opportunities to participate in community planting days at local parks.

What is required of participating schools?

  • Sign-off by the school principal
  • Space in school grounds or at nearby park to plant shade-bearing trees and shrubs suitable for the site
  • Care of plants integrated into school’s landscape maintenance regime
  • Participation in pre- and post-program surveys.

How to get involved

Head over to the Greening Australia website and fill out a schools application form.

Junior Landcare Grants

Junior Landcare grants help bring sustainability into classrooms across Australia to teach children how to care for their local environment. The Junior Landcare grants program offers both funding and in-kind support for schools, early childhood centres, before and after school centres and youth groups.

The Seedling Bank

The Seedling Bank program launched in 2019 through Planet Ark with the central goal of supplying native seedlings to schools and community groups around Australia.

Financial grants are awarded directly to successful applicants to get seedlings in the ground and help restore our unique Australian landscape.