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Perth's celebrated Kings Park is about to look a lot greener with an army of volunteers planting 40,000 native plants within the much anticipated 'Rio Tinto Naturescape in Kings Park'.

Western Australian Environment Minister Bill Marmion recently joined volunteers to pitch in with the mass planting, which will take up until the end of July to complete.

Minister Marmion said the planting would enhance the park's arboretum area - initially established in the 1970s as an annex to the State's Botanic Garden - to showcase Western Australia's unique flora diversity. The arboretum hosts a diverse range of WA trees planted within a natural bush setting requiring minimal watering.

He explained "when the new 'Rio Tinto Naturescape in Kings Park' was designed within the arboretum site, existing vegetation was surveyed to ensure no significant trees were removed. In fact, we will be planting more trees back there than the arboretum originally hosted."

Botanical collectors from Kings Park selected suitable species from climates such as the Kimberley, the desert and the Wheatbelt so they could cope with Perth's dry environment. The seedlings were raised in the Kings Park nursery for planting.

The plants now vary in size from seedlings to advanced tree stock to complement the new landscape and ensure the site looks and feels even better than it did prior to construction of the naturesca

The Minister added "part of the 'Rio Tinto Naturescape in Kings Park' development features a water course and extensive wetlands, so we are also planting about 10,000 wetland plants to create a habitat for a range of interesting creatures that will inspire the imaginations of all the young children who will visit and enjoy the facility."

Volunteers from the various Kings Park Volunteer groups as well as the site's major sponsors, Rio Tinto, Water Corporation, Perth Solar Cities, Lotterywest and the Friends of Kings Park, have all participated in the planting - one of the most significant in the park's recent history.

22nd April 2010 - CEREMONIAL WALK OPENED AT PERTH’S KINGS PARK

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