My Tree Project combines plants and art to help students grow Adelaide’s tree canopy

Tree planting offers children skills and hope in a changing climate

Back in 2020, Adelaide artist Lara Lamnek observed her grandson Max peacefully reading a book from high in the branches of his backyard mulberry tree.

The mulberry, 11-year-old Max told his grandmother, was like a sanctuary that made him feel creative and energetic — which instantly got Lara thinking about how to connect other children with their own tree.

Little did she know that seed of an idea would quickly grow into an award-winning program teaching Tarntanya / Adelaide school students how to plant native trees and connect with nature through art.

My Tree Project has been lauded for helping youth navigate climate crisis anxiety and improving student well-being while revegetating and rebuilding urban tree canopies.

“It's educational, it introduces students to creative work, it’s inclusive and it continues the practice of Indigenous people — thousands of years of caring for the environment,” says project coordinator Julie-Anne Whitehead.

First launched in 2021, My Tree Project runs as a year-long greening schools program guiding students through the full journey of growing a tree or understorey plant from seed, while weaving together science, creativity and sensory learning.

It’s facilitated by the Western Adelaide Coastal Residents Association (WACRA), one of Australia’s oldest volunteer-led activist groups, with a 50-year history of protecting and beautifying the Charles Sturt council area.

They’ve partnered with six primary and high schools — including West Beach, Kilkenny, Hendon and Pennington — and work with children across multiple year levels.

Early in the school year, students take part in hands-on horticultural workshops led by the Australian Association for Environmental Education’s SA Chapter, learning seed propagation, thinning and transplanting with endemic native plant specialists Deidre Knight and Steve Fuller from Bringing Back the Butterflies.

“They get their hands in the dirt, which they really love,” Julie-Anne says.

For many students, that experience is transformative. Some have never touched soil before, let alone planted a seed.

“The whole project is about empowering young people, increasing their awareness of climate change and giving them a positive opportunity to act in their community,” Julie-Anne says.

“We’re working in underprivileged schools, some students are refugees, some haven't even felt the earth before. Teachers consistently report increased well-being among students involved in the project.”

Greening schools: Unique blend of horticulture and art helps children connect with nature

While the seedlings are establishing, the focus shifts to creativity. Students participate in three art workshops designed to engage all the senses — a distinctive feature that sets My Tree Project apart from more conventional tree-planting programs.

Each art session begins outdoors, often with a guided mindfulness activity that may include gentle movement, tai chi or dance.

“We bring attention to the trees and leaves, the designs that trees make in the sky — bringing awareness to the smells, sounds and touch,” Lara says.

Back indoors, students translate their observations into drawings, paintings, collages, clay sculptures, nature journals, pottery and even stobie pole art. Foraged materials such as leaves, paperbark and gumnuts are often incorporated.

“That creative element allows children to express their feelings for nature and also to learn more about how trees relate to our environment, how important they are,” Lara says. “Trees grown from seed take years to mature, but through art, children can connect with that relationship immediately.”

Each program culminates in a public exhibition, often held during the South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival, where students share their artworks — and their growing connection to nature — with families, caregivers and the wider community.

“They're growing their future in the trees, but they're also telling people about it,” Julie-Anne says. “It's about storytelling through art.”

Young people helping to grow the tree canopy in Adelaide’s west

By July, in time for Schools Tree Day, students have healthy seedlings ready to plant at home, school or within their local neighbourhoods.

“One little boy said: ‘I’m going to plant my tree at school so when I’m an adult, I can come back and see it,’” recalls Pennington Primary School teacher Rosa Contarino. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Additional seedlings are supplied to community revegetation projects, including the Rosewater Railway Loop and the Fleurieu’s Forktree Project — providing impact well beyond the classroom.

More than 500 children have so far taken part, collectively planting hundreds of trees and understorey plants. It’s hoped these efforts will help with greening schools and Adelaide’s western suburbs, where tree canopy cover currently sits below 10 per cent, far short of the 30 per cent benchmark for healthy cities.

“Trees provide shelter, cooling, recreation, food and biodiversity,” Julie-Anne says. “We’re losing a lot of that — particularly in the west — as development increases.”

In 2023, My Tree Project was awarded Community Event of the Year at both the council and state levels. The team is now developing a website to house teacher resources, planting and propagation guides, artwork examples, educational activities and virtual tours of past exhibitions.

Long-term, they hope to align with the Australian curriculum so My Tree Project can be adopted by more schools and community groups nationwide.

“The project involves so many different subjects — maths, design, art, English,” Julie-Anne says. “It would be fabulous to see that framework grounded in schools.”

Sustaining the work, however, remains an ongoing challenge. Like many grassroots initiatives, My Tree Project relies heavily on volunteers. But for those involved, the effort is worth it.

“We’re volunteers and we’re anxious about climate change too,” says admin coordinator Andrea Rankin. “We care deeply about nature and the next generation. So for us, this project is empowering because we feel like we’re able to do something to help.”

Want to bring My Tree Project to your school or community? You can contact the WACRA team directly and explore funding support options through Green Adelaide’s Grassroots Grants program.