Tourists and wildlife benefit from additional tree planting at Werribee Open Range Zoo

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Tourists and wildlife benefit from additional tree planting at Werribee Open Range Zoo

October 26, 2023

Attractions / Environment / Tourism / Zoos /

Locals, tourists, and wildlife are benefitting from the Victorian Government having planted more than 14,000 trees at Werribee Open Range Zoo.

The tree planting aligns with the State Government’s ‘More Trees for a Cooler, Greener West’ initiative – a program that is planting 500,000 trees in Melbourne’s west.

The new trees will complement the $88 million expansion of Werribee Open Range Zoo which includes a purpose-built elephant habitat to house an Asian elephant herd.

Zoos Victoria Chief Executive Dr Jenny Gray shared “Zoos Victoria is grateful for the investment in green spaces to not only support the animals and visitors at Werribee Open Range Zoo, but also to provide habitat for wildlife that chooses to visit or live within the grounds.”

In 2018, Melbourne's west had just 5.5% canopy cover in urban areas compared to 17.4% in the inner south-east and 25.9% in the east.

In response to this shortage of trees in the west, more than 320,000 trees have been planted across the west through this program.

The More Trees for a Cooler, Greener West initiative includes the planting of trees outside schools, along trails, in parks, and on residential streets across six local council areas – Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Brimbank, Melton, Moonee Valley and Wyndham.

The new trees will also be irrigated as part of the Werribee Recycled Water Expansion scheme, which will provide the Zoo with a reliable supply of Class A recycled water and replaces the Zoo’s need for water extractions from the Werribee River.

For details about the project, visit environment.vic.gov.au/more-trees.

23rd October 2023 - Geelong Botanic Gardens collaborates with Werribee Open Range Zoo for sustainability

27th March 2023 - Werribee Open Range Zoo expands with new facilities for American bison and Asian wild horse

11th October 2022 - Elephant Trail being constructed at Werribee Open Range Zoo with repurposed materials

28th August 2022 - Koala Ward opens At Werribee Open Range Zoo

14th June 2022 - New thermal imagery shows ways animals stay warm at Werribee Open Range Zoo

11th February 2022 - Reptiles at Werribee Open Range Zoo treated to renovated enrichment space

16th July 2020 - Collaboration developed between Geelong Botanic Gardens and Werribee Open Range Zoo

24th April 2023 - 500 trees to transform Mildura City Centre

11th January 2023 - Aussie Ark plants 2,000 native trees in just one day at Mongo Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

20th July 2022 - Perth Zoo Horticulture teams transfer trees and plants to temporary homes

25th April 2022 - Over 200,000 trees planned for western Melbourne

20th December 2021 - Conservation organisations plant 26,000 trees to rewild Mongo Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

18th May 2021 - Victorian Government commits to planting half a million trees in Melbourne’s west

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