Jackie and her family had been living in the North Sydney area since moving to Australia in 2002 and often spent time at the nearby park and playground. When they heard about a local National Tree Day planting day, their seven-year-old daughter was especially keen to take part.
Curious about the public planting event, they went along at the last minute and ended up having a fantastic day getting their hands dirty alongside the local community.
“It turned out to be a big hit with both of our children,” Jackie said.
After more than 20 years, Jackie and Remi returned to the same site in 2025 and were surprised by how much it had changed.
“At first I was worried we wouldn’t find our trees, but then I realised they had grown much larger than I imagined,” Jackie recalled.
For Jackie, returning to the site after many years was a moment of reflection on the precious time she had spent planting alongside her son when he was a child.
“What really struck me was that my son has grown into a man, but these trees will continue to grow larger and larger.”
Over the years, the family has continued to take part in planting and bushcare activities, including volunteering annually with the Building Bridges with Boorowa program when possible.
Jackie has a simple message for families across Australia:
“You may think of it as just an activity for that weekend, but your child will always remember planting ‘their’ trees.”
Jackie hopes future generations continue to have access to these shared moments in nature, where even a small act of planting can have a lasting impact.