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Planting for a cooler future: Thousands of seedlings planted across Rockingham, WA

Over the past two months, Rockingham, Western Australia has been buzzing with activity, as we expanded our national Urban Shade Forest initiative into a second region.

The Urban Shade Forest project, a collaboration between CVA, Chevron Australia and their premium fuel brand Caltex, and supported locally by the City of Rockingham, seeks to increase the amount of vegetation and canopy cover within cities; creating suburbs that are cooler, greener, and more resilient. As a result, we’ve achieved some incredible things in Rockingham, including 215 volunteers and 8 community groups getting involved in the project, and 4,622 new seedlings planted across two sites!

A planting ex-tree-vaganza worth celebrating

On a crisp Saturday morning in June, close to 90 enthusiastic community members gathered at Seahaven Reserve in Waikiki, WA, for our final tree planting event for 2024. To the relief of everyone, the morning rain cleared just in time, leaving behind perfect weather for the event.

The day began with a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country led by Steven Jacobs, a proud Whadjuk maaman (man). Steven’s words resonated deeply as he highlighted the significance of First Nations people as the first caretakers of Country, and sharing knowledge and stories held by the Noongar people.

After walking through the cleansing smoke and learning about the importance of creating Urban Shade Forests from CVA staff, it was time to get planting! Families, friends, and staff from Chevron and Caltex came together to plant 1,670 seedlings at the Reserve. The species – all local to Rockingham and with a focus on canopy cover trees  – included Tuarts, Rottnest Island Pines, and She-Oaks. As part of the day, we were also honoured to be joined by Magenta Marshall MLA (State Member for Rockingham), Councillor Deb Hamblin (Mayor of the City of Rockingham) and Michelle LaPoint (General Manager of Asset Development, Chevron Australia), who all eagerly joined in the planting efforts.

The event featured engaging eco-activities for all ages. Budding junior green thumbs enjoyed the Kids Nature Club, where they coloured seed pods and decorated biodegradable pots before potting them up native seeds like Everlasting Daisies. Critters Up Close offered an exciting chance to meet wildlife, including Olive pythons and snake-necked turtles, while Eco Action demonstrated how to make native bee hotels to promote biodiversity at home. A plant giveaway provided attendees with resources to create Nature Blocks at home, extending our Urban Shade Forests initiative into backyards across WA!

As the final seedlings were being planted, the skies opened again, soaking the newly planted seedlings with a spectacular downpour. This final planting event for 2024 marks a significant contribution to our Urban Shade Forest initiative in Rockingham, where nearly 4,600 seedlings have been planted. As these seedlings grow, they will provide cooling shade for visitors to the Reserve and create much-needed habitats for native wildlife.

This successful collaboration between community, local Council and our Corporate Partners highlights the importance of coming together to care for our environment, ensuring a greener, cooler, and more vibrant future for all.

Missed out, but want to get involved?

As the planting season is still in full swing, there are plenty of opportunities across Australia for you to join in the fun! Head over to Our Projects page to find an event near you. Alternatively, you can download our CVA app for step-by-step guidance on how to plant a Nature Block at home.

Our Urban Shade Forest initiative will resume in mid-2025. Sign up to our eNewsletter to stay up-to-date with the project!

The Urban Shade Forest initiative is supported by founding partner Chevron Australia, Chevron’s premium fuel brand Caltex and supported locally by the City of Rockingham.

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