Wagga Wagga City Council’s One Tree for Me environmental program is preparing for its final chapter after distributing its 65,000th locally native seedling in August. The six-year initiative, launched in 2021, has encouraged residents across Wagga Wagga and surrounding villages to plant native trees, shrubs, grasses and groundcovers.

The program was created to increase locally native vegetation throughout the Wagga Wagga region and provide important habitat for native wildlife. Council says the initiative has helped residents create greener gardens while supporting biodiversity and strengthening connections with the local environment.

Monthly seedling giveaways have been held during winter and early spring, allowing residents to take native plants home and establish them in their own gardens. The program has now achieved its original six-year target ahead of schedule.

There will be one final opportunity for residents to participate. The final One Tree for Me seedling giveaway will take place at the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens on Saturday, 5 September, from 10am to 2pm, or until seedlings run out.

Council’s Environmental Education Officer Christina Reid encouraged residents who have previously participated, as well as people discovering the program for the first time, to attend the final event.

Native plants can provide food, shelter and nesting opportunities for local wildlife, while helping create more resilient and biodiverse urban environments. The program has also highlighted the importance of locally native species and their role in supporting pollinators and other animals.

The initiative forms part of Wagga Wagga City Council’s Biodiversity Strategy: Maldhangilanha 2020–2030, which aims to improve awareness and address threats affecting biodiversity across the region.

Although the giveaway program is ending, the council says its environmental benefits will continue through the thousands of native plants already distributed across local gardens and community spaces.