A REQUEST for more shade at a local skate park has snowballed into a beautiful community project for Lake Boga.
Lake Boga Primary School students were hugely excited to join several community groups in a tree-planting initiative to beautify the skate park.
Members of Lake Boga Community Garden started the project a few months ago with a donation of $200 worth of shrubs, which quickly grew into more.
“We got the school involved and it became part of a school project,” community gardener Carol Webb, said.
“They bought $460 worth of good quality shrubs, for 34 kids to plant.”
Bunnings came to the party with another $300 worth of good quality shrubs.
“We now have $900 worth of really nice shrubs, which are badly needed for the skate park,” Ms Webb said.
Keen local gardener, Tracy McLaughlin, said it was amazing to see the children’s response to the collaborative project.
“The children were so excited, they helped with everything, they were amazing,” Ms McLaughlin said.
“They chose their own trees, they grabbed their tree guards, and then all their sticks had their names painted on them.
“And their eyes lit up like Christmas trees, they were so excited.”
Volunteers from several community groups pre-dug the holes, making it easier for children to get their trees in the ground.
“We had lots of volunteers from Lake Boga Lions Club, Lake Boga Walking Group, and our Lake Boga Community Garden group,” Ms McLaughlin said.
“The men from the Lions Club were great, the kids were so drawn to them.
“Every time you saw a man planting a tree, there would be about six kids surrounding him – they were so popular, it was incredible!”
From little things, big things grow, and the skate park is looking a lot happier already.
“The area is fantastic, we have 60 shrubs planted there now in front of trees that were already there,” Ms McLaughlin said.
“We’re also putting in a grant for lawn, instead of a prickle patch, and we’re hoping Lake Boga Inc. will support us with that.
“We’ve already got a quote from our local turf, and our local sand and soil, they’ve been very generous and given us a big discount.”
The project was the idea of local skate park users, and has been a real community effort, Ms McLaughlin said.
“Children that use the skate park requested that they have more shade at the park.”
Young people are proud of their plants, coming back to show them off to family friends.
“We were watering at about five in the evening, and some of them came back, saying, “we want to show mum and dad our trees,” Ms McLaughlin said.
“It’s just such an incredible community thing.
“We’ve been back to Bunnings and purchased more shrubs because their brothers and sisters want to plant shrubs with their names on them.
“And we’re doing it safely in Covid – the holes are being pre-dug and people can pick up their trees from a central location and go and plant them.”
Mr McLaughlin says Bunnings have been “brilliant”.
“They are the biggest supporter of our community,” Ms McLaughlin said.
“We have a local community person there, David Rough, and he is just brilliant.”
