Fifty-five Albury High School year 9 students were involved in the mass planting yesterday, under the guidance of Albury Council.

The project involved up to 2000 understorey trees, including indigenous acacias and paper daisies grown from seed at the school.

Science teacher Paul Schupina said there had been “significant” erosion in the area of Nail Can Hill targeted yesterday — at the northern end of Albury TAFE behind Kalianna Enterprises in Sackville Street.

“The students will be taking ownership of this area,” he said.

“We need to plant trees to stop the random bike tracks that are one of the causes of this erosion.”

The aim of the planting was to ensure there was only one path through that part of Nail Can Hill.

Mr Schupina said the school’s students had done planting at several sites in the area.

Last July, 60 year 7 students did plantings in the Eight Mile Creek area at Thurgoona and then in September, 80 year 9s worked in the Kremur Street area of West Albury near the Murray River.

Next month another group of year 7 students will do plantings at The Pines on the banks of Lake Hume — the council recently removed distressed pine trees from the site.

The Pines planting is being done in conjunction with Planet Ark, with other Border schools also giving a hand.

Mr Schupina said these events had many benefits for students.

“Clearly it’s about looking after the environment,” he said.

“Sitting in a classroom doing ecology and watching a video or reading a book is not the same as actually doing it.

“They’ll take ownership of this and maybe they will influence other kids to leave those areas alone, that this is the path we need to take and this is how we look after the environment properly.”

Six council staff along with teachers assisted with the program.