Calrossy students partner with OzFish Northwest and Landcare for tree planting day

Photo and story courtesy of The Northern Daily Leader.

WITH shovels in hand, a group of Calrossy Anglican School students were eager to do their bit for the environment on Wednesday as part of a program to rehabilitate local riverbanks.

More than 50 students were on hand to lend some elbow grease and assist OzFish Northwest and Landcare in their efforts to rehabilitate the banks of the Goonoo Goonoo Creek at the Gipps Street Sports Grounds

OzFish's Anne Michie said the project is part of the Healthy Rivers Program with funding received from the Murray Darling Basin Healthy Rivers Project. 

"We're working to try and improve the habitat for not only the fish in the river, but all the other critters that call it home as well like our platypus and our big broad shelled turtles," she said.

Calrossy Anglican School Year 10 student Harmony Phillips said it's all about providing for the community.

"We're hoping in the future other students and their kids can enjoy the trees in these soccer fields for shade," she said.

"We're planting around 200 native trees in total that were grown locally by Landcare and it's been really fun - everyone's been working as a community and getting lots of sweat out. It's been great," she said.

Harmony said it was important to look after the environment because "we have taken a lot from it and it's always important to give something back as a thank you".

Ms Michie said it was fantastic to see the students giving back to the community.

"It's helping the river but they can have the satisfaction of coming down with their own kids one day when they come down to play soccer and say 'hey I planted that tree'," she said.