Drawcard for wildlife

PAKENHAM Consolidated School students got their hands dirty for School Tree Day last week.
Grade one and five students from the school gathered at the Toomuc Creek to rejuvenate the site on Friday morning.
About 50 students planted more than 300 indigenous wildflowers and shrubs on the site which runs adjacent to the school.
Teacher Karen Woodfine said the enthusiasm of the students was particularly pleasing. “They took a lot of pride in what they were doing,” she said.
The annual school planting day is part of the National Tree Day program, an environmental initiative aimed at promoting community planting of native trees and shrubs.
Cardinia Natural Resources officer Rob Jones said the whole aim of the Toomuc Creek project was to attract local wildlife back to the site.
“If we plant the right trees and shrubs from all vegetation layers then you’re sure to bring back the birds and the possums,” he said.
Mr Jones was hopeful that “thickening up” the site with Pakenham natives would also bring back the growling tree frog.
Pakenham Consolidated School students also took part in the project last year and look likely to do so in the future.
“They’ve really taken on this area and identified it as a site to work on in future years,” Mr Jones said.