Canberrans can sow the seeds of a new friendship or even romance at the upcoming Landcare4Singles event run by the ACT Government.

Landcare4Singles encourages Canberrans to build connections with nature and with likeminded members of the community, said Rebecca Vassarotti, ACT Minister for Environment.

“Landcare4Singles offers up a unique twist on the concept of speed dating: participants work together to plant native trees and shrubs,” Ms Vassarotti said.

“You’ll have about ten minutes to plant a tree and to get to know each other before moving onto a new person and a new plant.”

This year’s Landcare4Singles event will be held in partnership with Connecting Nature, Connecting People, an ACT Government initiative focused on improving ecological connectivity, strengthening and protecting urban biodiversity, and enhancing Canberrans’ connection to nature.

The event will take place in Gordon, in an important urban ecological corridor connecting Tuggeranong Hill with Mt Stranger and the Murrumbidgee River.

“This planting event will help enhance habitat connectivity and quality so small woodland birds, mammals, and native insect pollinators can move and thrive within the landscape,” Ms Vassarotti said.

“In addition to contributing to habitat connection, this event is a great way to find connections with new friends, or even start a relationship. There have actually been some successful relationships that have started as a result of these events in previous years, and I believe they are still together now.

“Events like these highlight the role that volunteers play in protecting our natural environment and increasing its resilience to the impacts of climate change and urbanisation.”

Volunteers have planted around 7,000 native trees and shrubs around Canberra since the first Landcare4Singles event in 2012. This year’s event will add another 600 to that count.

Landcare4Singles will be held on Saturday 3 June. Register via Eventbrite.

For more information on the Connecting Nature, Connecting People initiative, visit the ACT Government Environment website.