Alcoa employees have started celebrations for National Tree Day on August 1 early, helping communities in the south west of WA to plant over 110,000 seedlings this year.
Alcoa is allowing its employees to volunteer their time during work hours to help get the seedlings in the ground - which included a group of 20 employees who planted over 1,000 seedlings on farmland near Yarloop on July 23.
The Yarloop planting event was planned in partnership with Birdlife Australia, for a project to help the state's endangered and threatened black cockatoo species.
Over time, the planting will add to a biodiversity corridor in the area, providing important food and habitat for the troubled cockatoos.
Corporate Affairs Manager for Alcoa Suellen Jerrard said the company was able to give back to the environment through funding supplied by its global charity the Alcoa Foundation and its Australian community investment program.
"It was great to get out and get our hands dirty for a worthwhile cause, which is the betterment of our environment and the protection of our biodiversity," Ms Jerrard said.
"We are proud to be partnering with a range of not-for-profit, environmental and community groups as well as the broader community on extensive planting efforts."
The community plantings are centred on communities near where Alcoa operates bauxite mines and alumina refineries in the Kwinana, Peel and Upper South West regions of WA as well as along the Swan and Canning catchments in the greater Perth metropolitan area.
The company is partnering with a number of non-profit organisations, including the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council.
