Over one billion hours and counting…
Volunteering plays a vital role in strengthening social, economic, and environmental well-being.
According to the 2025 NSW State of Volunteering Report, an estimated 4.9 million residents contributed over 1.3 billion hours of volunteering, generating $31.9 billion in community benefits.
For many people, volunteering offers a chance to step back from routines, reconnect with personal interests, and contribute to meaningful change. For others, it’s a chance to pick up a new hobby, develop skills, or discover career paths alongside like-minded people.
No matter the reason, each volunteer brings a diverse skillset to the table that helps shape stronger, more resilient communities.
At Planting Seeds, volunteer power is the heart of our work. Hands-on activities such as habitat creation, native plantings, and school incursions all rely heavily on the time, passion, and expertise of our volunteers. Behind the scenes, volunteers help to coordinate events, support our digital platforms, and maintain the tools and resources needed for our programs. Their dedication allows our initiatives to run safely, efficiently, and purposefully, helping expand the B&B highway to more schools and communities across Australia.
Get to know a few of our volunteers and what inspires them to contribute their time at Planting Seeds!
Suppriya Kanagaraj
Role: Administration Assistant and Grant Writer
Volunteering since: May 2025.
What has been your favourite moment or memory so far?
My favourite aspect is seeing how my admin work helps the team and supports the
programs. It feels good to know that my small contribution makes a positive difference to the Planting Seeds organisation.
Favourite fun fact you’ve learned?
A fun fact I have learned is that plants can help improve the environment in many ways, like cleaning the air and supporting wildlife. It’s inspiring to see how our programs help both people and nature.
Hilary Albert
Role: IT and Digital Systems Support
Volunteering for: Four years
What has been your favourite moment or memory so far?
I am babysitting a stingless native beehive (Tetragonula carbonaria) in my garden for
PlantingSeeds, and recently, a team arrived to split the hive. It was a really amazing and
fascinating process to watch.
Favourite fun fact you’ve learned?
There are so many! The standard black and yellow striped bee was brought here from
Europe (don’t know if this was intentional or unintentional). Australia has nearly two
thousand bee species. Only 11 species form colonies; the rest are solitary, and most live in holes in the ground.
Dylan Laver
Role: Educator and Project Coordinator
Volunteering for: Almost four months
Favourite moment or memory so far?
There have been so many memorable moments, especially out at school incursion visits. I’d find it hard to single out one in particular, but I would say it’s always so uplifting to see the amount of care and enthusiasm that kids can have for a single plant they’re responsible for.
Outside of Planting Seeds, I work as a tree planter, and it can be easy to forget to plant with love when you’re planting so many plants in a day. In that respect, among others, I’ve learnt so much from being around kids, which has been, overall, a really fun and rewarding experience.
Favourite fun fact you’ve learned?
That male blue-banded bees roost together in a big group before going off to seek out
females - very amusing to watch and oddly similar to some behaviour I’ve seen in
humans…”
Simi Olutayo
Role: Assistant School Environmental Educator, Researcher, and Article Writer
Volunteering for: Around 9 months
Favourite moment or memory so far?
My favourite memory so far was the ‘Lunch & Learn’ we had in the office with Georgie and Clare from the University of Sydney USYD BEE Lab, where they shared their research into bee pollination behaviour and an emerging sub-species of Tetragonula.
Favourite fun fact you’ve learned?
Biting midges are the primary pollinators for chocolate!
We are deeply grateful for the value our volunteers bring to PlantingSeeds. Their passion, commitment, and creativity help us broaden our reach across Australia, engage with a wider range of communities, and make a greater impact on biodiversity and the environment.
Their contributions not only strengthen our ability to reach our goals but also inspire others to get involved, creating a ripple effect of positive change that extends far beyond our programs.
If you're interested in volunteering with PlantingSeeds, please use our contact form to get in touch.
Article by Chaeli Brogdon