THOUSANDS of TREES

The Thousands of Trees Project is one of our most successful. Starting in 2022, our volunteers have planted thousands of native seedlings in the Kentish Municipality for biodiversity, habitat, shelter for native animals and farm animals, and beauty.

To get a taste of what this project is about, check out Justin Wildsmith's short film, which was a finalist in the Landcare Short Film Festival 2025:

This Project is carefully managed to ensure the best results. Landowners apply and are selected through a detailed assessment of the site against selection criteria. We then work with the landowners to maximise the survival of the seedlings (eg through site preparation, fencing, guarding etc.) All planting sites are subsequently revisited to check the success of the plantings. To date, we have exceeded our overall target survival rate of 90%.

We have planted 7181 native seedlings since 2022. Please scroll down for full details and pictures.

In 2025 our wonderful volunteers planted 2100 native seedlings on nine different properties:

SPRING PLANTINGS:

Sat 6 Sep - Stoodley - 220 trees to link remnant native vegetation and to provide shelter on a farm

Sat 13 Sep - Sheffield - 220 trees planted beside the Dodder Rivulet

Wed 24 Sep - Stoodley - 220 trees planted to provide shelter and connect areas of remaining bush

Sat 1 Nov - Claude Road - 150 trees planted beside the Dasher River for diversity and shelter in a storm-ravaged patch of native bush

AUTUMN PLANTINGS:

Sat 12 Apr - Railton - 220 trees

Sat 26 Apr - Manna Hill Farm, West Kentish - 220 trees for shelter, screening, habitat

Sat 3 May - Paradise Road Farm, Sheffield - 220 trees

Sat 10 May - Staunton Farm, Sheffield - 200 trees adjacent to waterways for habitat, screening, biodiversity

Sat 17 May - Mount Roland - 220 trees on the slopes of Mount Roland

Thur 22 May - Staunton Farm - 100 trees planted by Sheffield School students to provide shelter on an organic dairy farm.

The Thousands of Trees Project 2024-25 is funded by the Healthy Tasmania fund through the Tasmanian Government, and is also supported by Kentish Council. Scroll down for details of how the Project works.

We need your support for this Project to continue in 2026! We warmly welcome donations - find out more here.

2024 Plantings:

Sat 27 Apr - Lorinna. Plantings on two organic farms. Thirty volunteers worked to plant 200 seedlings. After lunch, many stayed to plant an additional 200! Sun 11 May - a smaller-scale planting on a part-bush block at Wilmot. Fifty seedlings in the ground. Sat 18 May - Railton. We planted 250 seedlings in an environmentally important site near Redwater Creek. Our planters numbered 44, including some impressive young people from the Kentish Scout Group. Sun 26 May - Tasmania Wildlife Hospital, Forth. Over 50 volunteers planted 470 seedlings at this important new facility for the north of Tasmania. We also partnered with John and Megan of Staunton Farm to plant trees at their certified-organic dairy and beef property just outside Sheffield. Grade 3 and 4 students from Sheffield School did a great job planting 100 trees on Thur 16 May. Staunton Farm held an additional three planting days (22 and 29 May; 2 Jun) with over 300 seedlings in the ground. John and Megan are planning to plant a total of 2000 plants this year. What an inspiring example! In time the plants will provide shelter for farm animals, habitat for native spp., and will increase biodiversity on the property. Sat 7 Sep - Wilmot. Fifty trees planted to add biodiversity to a regenerating bushland. Sat 28 Sep - Whitehawk Falls, Sheffield, 250 trees planted beside Whitehawk Creek. Sat 5 Oct - Manna Hill Farm, West Kentish. 250 trees planted.

Details of 2023 plantings can be viewed here.

Details of 2022 plantings can be viewed here.

Guidelines for the 2026 Thousands of Trees Project will be released very soon. Keep an eye on this page or News for the latest.

Our Guidelines for 2024-25:

We seek expressions of interest from landowners with four types of sites, particularly on farmland.

Beside streams, rivers or waterways.
On steeper slopes where there is a risk of soil creep (or soil slump).
Shelterbelts on farms.
In areas where patches of remnant bushland can be connected by new plantings.

Ideally the site will be in a highly visible location, where it will be easily seen by the public and serve as a demonstration site that inspires other landowners to do similar things.

The project is a partnership between the landholder, MRLC and volunteer tree planters. The landholder is responsible for site preparation, including fencing (to exclude browsing animals), weed control and ongoing maintenance once the seedlings are planted. MRLC provides the plants, guards, mats and stakes, and if needed provides technical assistance to the landowner with advice on species selection and planting layout. MRLC also organizes a public tree planting day, where the seedlings are planted, guarded and watered in as necessary. Volunteer tree planters participate in the public tree planting day – typically a Saturday starting at 10am. After a couple of hours, the planters also enjoy a lunch provided by the landholder as a thank you for their efforts.