Umina Beach Public School’s plan to provide shade and shelter for students and parents has been thwarted by vandals.
In 2020 parents from the school organised for 10 mature Banksia trees to be planted on Melbourne Ave to shade classrooms and offer shelter for parents during pick-up times.
The group of parents, with help from Club Umina, co-ordinated watering and maintenance of the trees throughout the school holidays to ensure the plants survived.
Community group Grow Urban Shade Trees (GUST) provided oversight and information to the parents on caring for the trees.
But the trees have been subject to constant acts of vandalism.
The local Men’s Shed provided tree guards to prevent destruction of the trees, but during the recent Easter school holidays they were once again damaged.
The school is now calling on the community to help protect the trees by providing signage, replacing the damaged trees or joining the group caring for the remaining plants.
Parent Kelly Sunartha, who has been involved in the project, said the school community was devastated.
“We are so saddened that after our school community had gone to so much effort to raise funds (and) plant and provide ongoing water for the trees (that they) have been intentionally vandalised,” she said.
“We’d really love to see our larger community get behind the project to help raise the money to replant more trees as well as join us in caring for them.”
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said the project demonstrated what a community could achieve when they got together.
“It is a fantastic initiative started by the school and everyone involved should be proud of what they have achieved,” she said.
“This community project is a fantastic opportunity for kids to be educated on the importance of planting trees and how to care for our environment.
“I would encourage anyone in the area who is able to get involved and help the school keep these trees alive and protected.”
If you would like to get involved in the project contact GUST via email on gust@peg.org.au.
GUST is a local community environmental organisation which helps plant and water trees in order to build awareness around the benefits of urban trees, especially around reducing heat and increasing shade.
Source:
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch