• Matthew Watt, 4, Zoe Zmitkova and Lois Birchall have banded together with other Mt Pleasant locals to beautify a barren reserve. Photo by Matthew Dwyer
FED up with the lack of tree canopy in a Mt Pleasant neighbourhood, locals are banding together to plant more than 2500 native plants at Harry Bridle Reserve this month.
Dozens of park neighbours are keen to make their local streets greener after noticing several trees had been cleared over the past few years to make way for housing.
The reserve, a meagre triangular bounded by Mitchell and Glenelg streets, has only a few trees surrounding a large stormwater sump.
Gibson Street’s Zoe Zmitkova calls it the “dust bowl”.
“It’s not very pretty,” she grimaces, shifting topic to land clearing for development.
“Two housing blocks had sold and were totally cleared,” she says. “Builders seem to think every single tree needs to go. We (she and neighbour Hilary Salmon) noticed the lack of tree canopy and how we hadn’t seen our local boobook owl in a while, so thought about what we could to about it.”
Tree planting started this week with help from Greening Australia, Shell, Melville council and Birdlife Australia. They aim to attract more birds, such as the rare Carnaby’s black cockatoo, to the area.
Ms Zmitkova says the project has helped her get to know neighbours, including Lois Birchall, pictured, and urges all communities to get involved in beautifying their surroundings.
Without community initiative, she says the $9000 project (the council chipped in $7000) would not have gotten off the ground.
Youngster Matthew Watt added his opinion as he points to a spot barren of vegetation: “It would be nicer to move trees over there.”
Ms Zmitkova, a mother, hopes children will play among the newly planted trees.
She vows to never label it a “nature play” area because there’s a “hysterical obsession with safety” at any official playground.
“There’s been a push lately for nature play,” she says. “But there’s still this hysterical obsession with safety. Children know what to do. People are pandering to children and I’m worried it’s diminishing their ability to cater to themselves.
“Nature is chaos and there are always going to be elements of danger and risk in it. You put a child in the bush and they know what to do. They’ll make toys out of honkey nuts.”
by EMMIE DOWLING
