Shearwater, the Mullumbimby Steiner School is planting another 2,000 rainforest trees with help from Reforest Now and the Rainforest 4 Foundation.

With the arrival of the rain fifty-six Year 7 students have begun planting 2,000 trees to show they can address climate change by increasing the carbon stored in the trees and by using the school grounds as a giant classroom to address the problem. The students are meeting every afternoon, from 1:30 pm until 2:45 pm in February and March to use garden forks, wheelbarrows, and shovels to dig the holes and move piles of mulch. The class teacher and school bush regeneration team will assist with the tree planting. This activity is part of the ongoing school bush regeneration project that commenced twenty years ago and has established over 10,000 trees.  

This year the focus will be to extend the Shearwater flood plain ecological plant community, swamp sclerophyll forest, an important habitat for bandicoots, koalas and many other local wildlife species. This project is part of the development of a wildlife corridor across the school property from the east to the north-west where it will join established plantings on the western boundary of the property. When completed in the next few years, it will be almost 2km long. The plantings incorporate indigenous bush food species such as Davidson's Plum, Small-leaved Tamarind, Native Ginger and Midginberry.  

The 2020 Shearwater tree planting project is supported Reforest Now and the Rainforest 4 Foundation who are supplying trees and mulch. The ongoing management of the reforestation of the school grounds is being supported by the school administration. “All planting and maintenance of the tree are done following sustainable, organic and biodynamic land management principles” explains project coordinator bush regenerator Nadia de Souza Pietramale. “We will cover all the gaps between the trees with mulch. This organic material will suppress grass growth and feed soil micro-organisms such as the mycorrhizal fungi.”  

Thank you to the Rainforest 4 Foundation donors who have helped us to support this great project and to restore our rainforests by adding another 2,000 rainforest trees.