Students from Wahroonga Adventist School in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, put their green thumbs into action as part of Schools Tree Day on Friday, July 26, 2024.

The students helped in planting dozens of shrubs and trees in an area of bushland behind their playground and oval on the Wahroonga Estate.

Jayden Streatfeild, the South Pacific Division's environmental officer, welcomed the students and explained the significance of the site.

“The vegetation community you are standing in at the moment is blue gum high forest,” he said. “Blue gum high forest is critically endangered in the Sydney basin and so you are doing some really awesome work to help us regenerate it,” he added.

The site was previously overrun with weeds, particularly the invasive privet shrub.

“We eradicated the weeds so that we can come in and replant,” Streatfeild said.

Leisly White, the school science director, coordinates an environmental ambassador program at the school. It inspires students to care for their environment, understand how to live sustainably and be stewards of God’s creation.

“Schools Tree Day is where the schools are able to help the local community and grow all the native plants that we need in this area,” White said. She added, “It’s just a wonderful way to have a positive impact on this bushland.”

Other environmental activities at the school include a veggie patch, chicken coop, and bottle/can recycling program.

Streatfeild said a second planting initiative involving members of the community was held at the site on July 28, for National Tree Day. Seventy-five trees and 350 plants were planted over the two events.

The Wahroonga Estate is a 64.2ha parcel of land acquired by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1898. The estate is home to Sydney Adventist Hospital, Adventist Aged Care Wahroonga, two Seventh-day Adventist churches, Wahroonga Adventist School, and the headquarters of the South Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The original article was published on the South Pacific Division news site, Adventist Record.