Until recently, seedling pots and plant guards have been another burden on waste management systems, with much ending up in landfill. Parklands and regional land managers have been doing our bit to avoid waste; returning bulk seedling containers to nurseries for reuse, extending the life of plastic and coreflute guards by reusing for as many years as possible.

Parklands purchased very few tree guards and stakes this winter as we were determined to re-use all of the guards and stakes that had been removed from our previous years plantings.  Whilst it certainly took more time with the occasional rotten tree stake or damaged tree guard, it meant we virtually cleared the depot of reusable materials. 

This year further innovations are in use locally to reduce the waste associated with tree planting. A big congratulations to AlburyCity for their initiative in trialling compostable tree guards in winter 2020.  Not only will these stay out of our waterways but they will not require lots of people and time to remove them in the years to come. Eventually, both guards and stakes will simply return to the earth.

Meanwhile, there always seems to be some bushland with tree guards requiring removal, thanks to the efforts of so many over the past decade restoring our landscape for people and planet to benefit. If you want to help remove tree guards, please talk to us first because tree guards need to be retained in the earlier years to help climate control (keeping the moisture in summer and keeping the frost out in winter). Please email us at infor@parklands-alburywodonga, or call 0260 236 714.

Footnote: Only a few days after finishing winter 2020 plantings Ranger Danny brought back two tandem trailer loads of tree stakes he has removed from previous planting sites, ready for use again in winter 2021… The cycle continues!