REGION - Schools from across the region have been recognised for their participation in the Project Platypus annual 'Plant Out' day.
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This year Project Platypus received a $1,294 grant from CitiPower and Powercor and Junior Landcare through their Powerful Partnerships Grants Program.
Each year, Project Platypus partners with local Landcare groups to host a series of large scale community tree planting days.
Plantout is an annual Project Platypus event that has been taking place each year for the past 13 years.
School student participation gives young people the opportunity to improve the local landscape by tree planting on a local farming property.
The students also learn about the role of trees and the multiple benefits trees provide to the farming landscape such as stock shelter, increased biodiversity and provision of habitat.
248 students and a mixed team of teachers, parent helpers and dedicated volunteers took part in the event.
Together they planted 8820 plants, re vegetating 19 hectares of land with species native to the region.
Last year 10 schools signed up to participate, involving over 200 students.
The schools included in the partnership were Great Western Primary School, Landsborough Primary School, Stawell West Primary School, Moyston Primary School, Navarre Primary School, Stawell Primary School, Marian College, St Patricks Primary School, Skene Street School and Stawell Secondary College.
Richard Scholten, a CitiPower and Powercor Regional Asset Manager said he was delighted to see the significant impact the program is having with local community groups.
"We are proud of the services we provide to local communities, both as a distributor of electricity and as a supporter of local programs and initiatives," he said.
"The Powerful Partnerships Junior Landcare Grants program has enabled local schools and Landcare groups to work together to develop and undertake environmental projects that will make a real difference to their communities.
"We are thrilled to have been able to help them meet their environmental goals."
Liz Monaghan, principal of Great Western Primary School said the grant helped make the day possible.
"The children had a great day planting the trees even if it was a cold day, " she said.
David Margetson of Project Platypus also appreciated the grant.
"Knowing that, with the help of the Junior Landcare CitiPower Powercor grant, students would again have the chance to participate and returning trees to the landscape was the best part," he said.