Toyota Australia enters its 24th year of supporting Planet Ark’s annual planting events, Schools Tree Day and National Tree Day.

Organised by Planet Ark in partnership with Toyota, Australia’s largest community tree planting events will be held on Friday 28th July and Sunday 30th July. This annual event encourages Australians to engage with native wildlife and learn more about their surrounding environment by planting native trees and shrubs within their community.

This year, through its Schools Tree Day and National Tree Day, Planet Ark and Toyota are working to reach the annual goal of one million native trees and shrubs planted per year.

Toyota Australia Chief Marketing Officer, Vin Naidoo, said the ongoing support from Toyota and its dealer network emphasised the significance of community efforts toward protecting and maintaining our native Australian environment.

“For nearly a quarter century, Toyota’s partnership with Planet Ark has helped to enhance over 66,000 communities, neighbourhoods and sites with native trees and shrubs,” Mr Naidoo said.

“National Tree Day and Schools Tree Day is about heading out into the great outdoors, getting your hands dirty, and connecting with the local community.”

Local Toyota dealerships across the country are also getting involved by hosting planting days as well as assisting local schools, community groups and councils with a range of National Tree Day activities.

“As a behavioural change organisation, Planet Ark’s vision is to create a world where people thrive in balance with nature,” said Planet Ark co-CEO Rebecca Gilling.

“Our mission this year is to nurture human and planetary wellbeing by connecting people with nature all across the country,” she said.

For those who can’t attend Planet Ark’s National Tree Day events this year, another way to connect with nature is through donations to The Seedling Bank – a program launched in 2019 that supplies native seedlings to schools and community groups around Australia.

129 Toyota dealerships will be involved in Schools Tree Day and National Tree Day events across Australia and will be providing useful gear for planting days including items such as hats, gloves, tree guards, seedlings, and vouchers.

Dealer Activity this year includes:

• John Madill Toyota (QLD) will be joining the local early learning centre to re-establish flood affected gardens for the children to explore outdoors • Adelaide Hills Toyota (SA) will be supporting Cornerstone College with their planting event along Mount Barker Creek and chatting to the students about Hybrid technology. • Mike Carney Toyota (QLD) will be providing Enkindle Village School with 200 trees to plant at their new school site which is currently under construction. • Bridge Toyota (NT) will be working with Haileybury Rendall School and Girraween Primary School with a tree planting event which will include a hybrid vehicle showcase and a plant giveaway.

Friends of Toyota, Phoebe Burgess, Emma Hawkins, Abbey Holmes, Tom Derickx, and Nathan McGuire are also getting their hands dirty by planting a tree seedling to encourage Aussies to participate in this year’s Planet Ark’s National Tree Day.

Since its inception in 1996, National Tree Day has engaged over 5 million people and planted over 26.7 million trees, grasses and shrubs and across Australia.

To find a local planting event visit: https://treeday.planetark.org/find-a-site/ or visit a local participating Toyota Australia Dealership.