In just a couple of years, popular tree trail activity in the City of Stirling, Western Australia, has captured the imagination of local children as well as multiple awards.
The program got its start in 2018 when the City launched a self-guided walking trail for families around Carine Regional Open Space.
The nifty idea proved a great way to highlight the many invisible benefits of trees.
Dozens of sign-posted locations dotted along the route featured interesting facts about local trees and sustainable artworks created by local school students.
The Bindi Bindi Dreaming group shared fascinating indigenous stories and sustainability entertainers The Eco Faeries added to the fun by offering lots of entertaining craft activities to get kids thinking about nature.
To boost the interactive aspect of the Tree Trail, children also collected clues over the course of the trail to spell out a secret message and win a plant-able prize.
The opportunity to write a message to the trees also proved a hit with youngsters sharing lots of endearing thoughts like ‘you are beautiful’ and ‘thank you for the shade’.
The City’s Manager Parks and Sustainability, Ian Hunter, regarded the interactive elements of the trail as being key to its success.
“I think the sense of discovery for children to work out the tree trail message and find out about local trees is what makes it so engaging.
“The option for families to follow the trail at their leisure during the school holidays is another big reason it has been it so successful.”
Along with being embraced by the community, the program has gone on to win two state awards. It picked up the Community Based Initiative of the Year at the 2019 Parks and Leisure Australia WA Awards of Excellence and the Green Space Community Award at the 2019 Australian Institute of Horticulture Awards.
Local children can look forward to another Tree Trail adventure in 2020 when the fun activity returns to the City for the April school holidays.
