CANBERRA’S Michael Milton helped some northside students plant more than 60 native shrubs and trees yesterday as part of National Tree Day celebrations.

Milton, a six-time Paralympian and multi-gold medallist, is also an ambassador for Toyota who have supported the Planet Ark initiative for 15 years. He teamed up with around 20 students from North Ainslie Primary School and staff from Canberra Toyota, who donated the plants, to plant out a neglected section of the school garden.

“The garden is right beside the quadrangle where assembly is held each morning. It’s a bit of an eyesore so we’re hoping the addition of native plants will not only make it look nicer but also attract some native birds,” said Milton who joined a group of parents on the weekend to prepare the site, adding soil and mulch to the area.

2014 marks the fifth year that Canberra Toyota has partnered with Canberra Primary Schools for Schools Tree Day. Lisa Gray from Canberra Toyota is responsible for coordinating the project each year with school staff. She says students really enjoy the planting experience.

“We’re always impressed with the level of understanding students show and how keen they are to look after their school environment. The children are always very proud to show off their newly planted gardens,” said Gray.

Since it began, National Tree Day – along with Schools Tree Day – has been responsible for helping various communities plant more than 20 million trees across the country as part of an ongoing commitment towards global sustainability. The initiative, which sees Toyota’s national dealer network provide on ground support to local communities at planting events across Australia, aims to create a society where people have contact with nature, understand its value and participate in its care.

Spokesperson for Planet Ark, Debbie Agnew added: “Each year more than 200,000 people take part in National Tree Day at approximately 3000 planting sites which is testament to the willingness of Australian communities to do what they can to support the environment.

“Every tree we plant on National Tree Day or Schools Tree Day has a positive impact on the future of our planet but none of it would be possible without Toyota and its dealer network’s support,” continued Agnew.

Toyota is an industry leader in environmental research and technologies which assist in creating a more sustainable motoring future to benefit all communities.

Anyone and everyone can get involved in National Tree Day through Treeday.planetark.org or by contacting their local participating Toyota dealership. To get the latest tips, news and information on the initiative, visit Toyota.com.au/tree-day or via Twitter.com/toyota_aus and Facebook.com/toyota.aus