Penrith residents are invited to register for a free tree from Penrith City Council with the return of the successful Adopt a Tree program on Saturday 11 May at The Kingsway Playing Fields.
Residents can register to reserve a specific tree species for pick-up within a 60 minute time slot on the day, with the event starting at 8am. Registration assists with reducing queues and waiting times for those wanting to pick up a tree.
Penrith Mayor Todd Carney encouraged residents who were interested in planting a tree to register for the program's second run.
"Last year, we had 150 trees adopted from the program - we're excited to see more residents participate, and even welcome those who adopted a tree last year to adopt another one," Cr Carney said.
"Tree planting can assist in reducing urban heat by increasing our canopy cover and shade, leading to a cooler community during the summer months - an initiative that has seen a significant increase in shade and cooling over the last five years across our City.
"Council identified trees as necessary to help reduce Penrith's vulnerability in the face of a changing climate in our Resilient Penrith Action Plan - continuing to increase our canopy cover over the next few years will help our community adapt and improve its resilience to extreme heat," he said.
Trees were supplied by Council's Nursery, with limited stock available for the program. Species include Callistemon citrinus, Callistemon viminalis, Callistemon viminalis 'Hannah ray', Callistemon salignus, and Melaleuca bracteate.
Council is taking registrations online, with multiple timeslots available. Find out more and register your interest at penrith.city/events
The Resilient Penrith Action Plan is a strategy Penrith Council developed in collaboration with the community to build Penrith's awareness and preparedness in the face of risks, shocks, and stresses such as extreme heat. Find out more at penrith.city/resilience
