Ipswich residents are getting ready to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty for the annual Trees for Mum event this Mother’s Day.
Taking place on Sunday, 14 May 2023, at the Jim Seymour Park in Camira, the Trees for Mum event is expected to draw over 200 people who are eager to improve their surroundings whilst celebrating Mother’s Day.
This vital activity is part of the Ipswich City Council’s strategic Habitat Connection rehabilitation program, which aims to restore waterways throughout the region through the planting of native species. The program also seeks to encourage wildlife to thrive by providing suitable habitats.
Division 2 Councillor Paul Tully said that the event is a great opportunity to support the platypus population at Jim Seymour Park. The Sandy Creek catchment area in the park provides important platypus habitat, making it a perfect site for the event. Participants will be helping to improve the platypus habitat by planting native plants, which will also benefit other native wildlife that uses waterway corridors.
This comes following a concerning report from the Ipswich City Council’s Environment and Sustainability Committee that the animals haven’t returned to the waterways since the flooding in February 2022.
“Platypus monitoring was conducted in June last year, only a few months after the floods, at 22 known platypus sites across Ipswich,” Councillor Russell Milligan said.
“This monitoring sadly recorded just one tentative positive eDNA sign in Wacol.
“Officers repeated the eDNA monitoring at all of these 22 sites in December 2022, with similar results confirming platypus still have not yet returned to Ipswich’s rivers, creeks and waterways.”
Meanwhile, Division 2 Councillor Nicole Jonic said that Trees for Mum is an excellent way to spend quality time with family whilst contributing to local sustainability. She encourages everyone to get involved and make the most of the day by having a picnic and celebrating Mother’s Day in the beautiful city of Ipswich.
Participants will receive a complimentary gift and treat to enjoy at the planting. The plant species are chosen to suit local climate and soil conditions and are propagated and grown in the Council’s nursery.
Published 12-May-2023
