150 schools to benefit from expanded tree planting program

More students and metro areas set to benefit from plantings in schoolyards. Photo credit Brett Hemmings.

The NSW Government is investing $2.3 million to plant thousands of trees, shrubs and bush tucker gardens to help combat urban heating in more than 150 schools over the next four years.

The continuation of Greening Australia’s Cooling the Schools program will also see it extend beyond Greater Sydney to reach schools in the Illawarra–Shoalhaven, Hunter and Central Coast regions.

This expansion will give thousands of kids a chance to benefit from cooler, greener spaces in schools for learning and play.

Schools can check their eligibility and register their interest by completing this form.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said: “Planting trees in schools is one of the simplest and most effective ways to combat urban heat, to cool our schools and suburbs, and to improve the health of our communities.

“This program has already made a real difference in hundreds of schools, and we’re pleased to extend it for the first time to schools across the Illawarra–Shoalhaven, Hunter and Central Coast.”

These trees and shrubs planted as part of Cooling the Schools are growing strong – and more are being added. Photo credit Brett Hemmings.

The program increases vegetation cover in schools while also giving thousands of students the opportunity to learn firsthand about the environmental and cultural benefits of planting native trees for urban cooling, biodiversity and First Nations cultures.

Proudly supported by the NSW Government, Greening Australia has worked with teachers and students to plant more than 70,000 native trees and shrubs across 306 schools in Sydney since 2020, actively involving over 20,000 students.

Close to 100 cultural education sessions have also been delivered, helping students connect with Country while learning about sustainability.

Greening Australia Restoration Operations Hub Lead Nicola Masters said: “Kids love learning in this program, which is active, outdoors and fun! We aren’t just creating wildlife habitat and cooler schools, we are helping to build ‘GenGreen’.

“We’re teaching kids about taking local action to bring biodiversity back into our city landscapes, and there are a lot of schools, so all those local actions add up to a big impact.”

Biodiverse plantings in schools benefit native wildlife like pollinators too. Credit Brett Hemmings.

The delivery of Greening Australia’s Cooling the Schools program in metropolitan NSW is helping some of the most heat vulnerable areas by planting for cooler outdoor spaces and providing hands-on learning opportunities.

This funding is part of the NSW Government’s Greening Our City grants, which have to date awarded $46.8 million to 164 greening projects across Greater Sydney Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven to build climate resilience, improve air quality, and connect communities with nature.
 
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