Seventy-five native trees have been planted in the Gunning Showground bush block, as part of a project funded jointly through Gunning District Landcare and the Australian Government’s Planting Trees for The Queen’s Jubilee Program. Last Saturday a ceremony to dedicate the planting to the plantinum jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was held in the Gunning Shire Hall, attended by councillors John Searl, Susan Reynolds and Lauren Woodbridge. Community representatives from Gunning were also in attendance, along with Landcare members and visitors. Councillor John Searl presented a eucalyptus seedling to the Chair of Gunning District Landcare, John Storey.

The 2.2 ha bush block includes large sections of Box Gum Grassy Woodland, a critically endangered ecological community. Unfortunately, only a few percent of the land area originally made up of Box Gum Grassy Woodland remains, and most of it is fragmented and sparsely dispersed across south-east Australia. We are fortunate indeed to have a significant area of this vegetation within our village.

We are grateful that the Shire Hall was made freely available for the event by Upper Lachlan Shire Council.