Sunbury students’ plum job

Sunbury’s Killara Primary School pupils – including Phoenix, Patrick and Jessica (pictured) – are becoming young orchardists after a single plum tree was used as the catalyst for an orchard.

After the school received a tree under the Healthy Living Hume program in 2014, Sunbury Community Health offered to match any other fruit trees the school could source.

Bunnings Sunbury also got on board, donating six trees, meaning the school’s pupils were on their way getting their hands dirty in a 13-tree orchard.

Trees were planted, staked and guarded, and a series of working bees involving parents, pupils and other volunteers ensured the orchard area was properly mulched.

A native bee hotel was added to help with pollination.

Pupils continue to look after the trees and are looking forward to enjoying fruit when the trees mature.