Planet Ark celebrated 22 years of National Tree Day and Schools Tree Day - Australia's largest community tree-planting and nature care event.

National Tree Day started in 1996 and since then more than four million people have planted over 24 million trees and plants and it's still growing.

The local Bunnings team members came in to plant two fruit trees and two native trees.

Playmates director Christine Castlehouse said having Bunnings come in as part of Schools Tree Day was a wonderful opportunity to increase the children’s awareness of the environment.

Playmates Cottage has been at the new premises on Moran Drive since March 2018 and Ms Castlehouse said they left behind an amazing amount of shade.

“So it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to get more,” she said.

Schools Tree Day was just one of many sustainability initiatives being undertaken at the education centre.

The staff and students at Playmates Cottage carry out sustainability practices, including recycling, compost and they even have their very own worm farm.

Garden beds were also donated.

“We’ve also incorporated cooking into the children’s weekly routine with each class cooking,”  Ms Castlehouse said.

“Therefore our hope with these new fruit trees being planted, which are orange and lemon, that they’ll be able to pick the fruit from the tree to put into the cooking.”

To find out more information please visit treeday.planetark.org