Greater Bank and the City of Newcastle have joined forces to celebrate the bank's 75th anniversary in the city.
Greater Bank announced in August that it was planting 75,000 trees in the areas it calls home across regional NSW to mark 75 years of growing greater together.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and Greater Bank chief executive officer Scott Morgan launched the Newcastle planting program at King Edward Park at King Edward Park on Thursday.
They were joined by Greater Bank employees and members of the community to plant the first of 4,000 trees earmarked for the site.
The planting will enhance a protected and endangered ecological community known as Themeda grassland and also re-establish habitat for local wildlife, including birds, small marsupials, insects and reptiles.
Over the coming weeks and months, the program will also see plantings undertaken at Bull and Tourle Street Reserve, Mayfield West, Heaton Park and Maclure Reserve, Jesmond; a unique and important freshwater wetland in Wallsend; Wallsend Park and Ironbark Creek, Wallsend.
A mix of seedlings and more established plants that are native to the region have been selected to complement the flora already on these sites.
More than 20,000 native trees and shrubs will eventually be planted at sites across the area.
"Thanks to support from Greater Bank, we've been able to significantly add to our bushland, watercourse, street and park tree planting programs to ensure our community continues to benefit from our urban forest," Councillor Nelmes said.
"This partnership is another example of the City's commitment to becoming an ICLEI City with Nature, recognising and enhancing the value of our natural surrounds, as well as our efforts to be a global local government leader in sustainability.
"The greening of our urban landscape has a positive impact for Newcastle and our community. Enhancing our natural areas, planting in streets and parks create spaces where people can relax and be more active.
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