Townsville South State School year six students, parents and teachers joined Glencore and employees from the Port of Townsville to plant 500 native trees in the Environmental Park, South Townsville in support of the Port’s One Million Trees program for Port Vision 2050.
Senior Environmental Advisor, Justin May said the collaborative venture came about when the Port of Townsville invited us to be part of their tree planting program with the aim of planting one million trees by 2050 to improve green spaces and buffer zones around the Port.
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Kayla Stephens, Operator at Glencore Port Operations offered her time to help out on the day.
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Makere, showing us all how it’s done.
“Dating back nearly 100 years, we are one of the Port’s oldest and largest customers, and we are excited to join in on this initiative that benefits the environment and the surrounding community as well,” Justin says.
“We approached Townsville South State School, the closest school to the Port, who were more than happy to jump on board and help out. The students got stuck in and did a fantastic job. It’s great to see kids so enthusiastic about doing their bit for the environment.”
Students who live in the neighbourhood were excited to be involved. They are close enough to visit the park with their families and can keep an eye on the progress of the trees while they grow and become established.
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Townsville South State School students planting native trees at the Environmental Park in South Townsville.
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Glencore Townsville Operations employees were thrilled to be part of the Port of Townsville’s One Million Trees Program.
In preparation for the tree planting, the Port of Townsville’s gardeners and maintenance team laid the groundwork by fertilising and digging holes in the park ready for a variety of native trees to be planted, such as Callistemon, Melaleuca, Grevillea, Acacia and Dianella. The Environmental Park provides a tranquil setting with lovely grassed areas and walkways for locals to enjoy year round.
Acting Manager Environment and Planning, Port of Townsville Elaine Glen, said the Port has clear ambitions for Port Vision 2050, and the One Million Trees project works towards improving and protecting our planet.
“We kicked off the program in August and we’re hoping to work with more of our partners to improve amenities in the Port and surrounding areas to realise our goal,” Elaine says.
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Dave Robertson helps clear away empty plant pots for students.
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Friends buddying up to get the job done.
Superintendent Glencore Port Operations, John Cordingley said Glencore was pleased to be part of the Port’s program and hoped that our contribution of 500 native trees would help them in reaching their target.
“Environmental initiatives such as these are a wonderful way to give back to our community in a sustainable way, by providing green spaces for families that live in the vicinity and habitat for native wildlife in the area,” John says.
Taking advantage of the location, the Glencore team put on a barbeque to end the morning’s activities and thank everyone involved for the enormous effort in getting all 500 trees and shrubs into the ground at lightning speed.