14th Annual Mother’s Day tree planting
Capacity building - LEP23_0035 LLC_BVL_04
The issue
The scale of revegetation required to restore our fragmented landscapes is huge.
Byron Shire in Northern Rivers New South Wales, Bundjalung Country, is home to 71 threatened plant species and 167 threatened animal species. Many hands are needed to complete this important conservation and revegetation work.
The solution
One huge part of the solution is every-day people restoring native vegetation on their own private sites. Brunswick Valley Landcare’s annual Mother’s Day tree planting is a true community event that does exactly that. 2025 marked the 14th event, in honour of all our mums as well as Mother Earth. The event attracts seasoned practitioners and first-time planters of all ages in a fun, connected, educational, community day.
BVL’s 2025 planting partners were Conservation Volunteers Australia, Red Square Music, Little Valley Distribution, Earthscapes Consulting, Byron Shire Echo, Bay FM and Woolworths Mullumbimby.
This year’s site builds on previous Landcare-led restoration work in Mullumbimby Creek over decades, connecting riparian habitat and extending wildlife corridors. The 1500 carefully selected seedlings, across three uniquely designed planting zones, included a diverse rainforest species mix endemic to the area, suitable for riparian zones (ie: areas along creeks, streams & rivers). One zone featured a Wet Sclerophyll species mix, suitable vegetation type for the allocasuarina (she-oak) species that Glossy Black-Cockatoos exclusively feed on here. Other threatened species such as Koala and Greater Gliders rely on this vegetation type.
A new Fact Sheet created by the “Glossy Black-Cockatoo Food for the Future” Project, supported by Landcare, was launched. It’s mapping model identifies priority areas where Glossy Black-Cockatoo food tree revegetation and infill plantings would be most valuable in addressing habitat loss.
The impact
The trees planted this year are the habitat of the future, adding one more stepping stone of habitat for threatened species, reconnecting fragmented sites within an important wildlife corridor extending from Mullumbimby Creek to Koonyum Range. The 2023 Mother’s Day planting site just several hundred metres down the road is a shining example of what this planting will be in just three years. BVL is committed to funded maintenance of each of its planting to ensure their survival and success.
Key facts
- BVL’s flagship restoration planting event with community
- A day to educate community in sound restoration techniques and local native species
- 1500 endemic tree, plant and grass species planted across 3 carefully designed planting zones, one featuring food trees for Vulnerable Glossy Black-Cockatoos
- Two years funded follow up maintenance by professional contractors to see the trees successfully established
- An ongoing maintenance commitment by the site landholders to tend the planting
- Launch of one Fact Sheet designed to educate landholders in how to restore Glossy feeding habitat on their own sites