On 11th May, over 100 primary school students from the Roots & Shoots schools including Templestowe Valley Primary School, Fintona Girls’ School and the 1st Eaglemont Scouts gathered at Yarra Flats Park to experience the extraordinary pleasure of meeting Dr Jane Goodall before commandeering a major tree planting operation.

The morning commenced with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony by Uncle Dave Wandin and an official welcome by the Honourable Lily D’Ambrosio. Dr Jane then delivered a motivational speech, emphasising that now more than ever, we must tap into our indomitable human spirit to maintain hope in taking action to conserve the environment. She also highlighted the importance of nurturing our powerful, younger community members, and how essential their role will be for future generations. The primary school students worked alongside Dr Jane and students from La Trobe University to physically manifest Dr Jane’s message by planting more than 1500 trees in an effort to ecologically restore the Annulus Billabong. Dr Jane left with the message of ‘Together we can, together we will’.

Below is a link to a poem by Ryan Ringin, titled ‘Putting the Plants Back’, his writing was inspired by the events of the day.
Putting the plants back – Poem FINAL

Thank you very much to Dr Jane, the Une Parkinson Foundation, Revive Earth, Parks Victoria, Sarah Triolo and the Roots & Shoots volunteer team.

Bec  Everett | NYLC VIC
Photo Credits: Phil Hines