MAITLAND residents might notice a few more trees scattered around the city over the coming months.
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A group of guerrilla gardeners have been sneaking out after the sun has gone down - armed with seedlings and shovels and getting their hands dirty.
It might sound strange but the self-dubbed 'Shady Characters' are actively planting trees around the city.
It all began earlier this month when three seedlings were planted on High Street near Mansfield House.
Now they have plans to target the whole city.
A 'Shady Character', who wished to remain anonymous, said the initiative started after residents became concerned about the dwindling number of trees around Maitland.
"We noticed a lot of trees disappearing around Central Maitland," he said. "So we decided to do something ourselves.
"The advantages are numerous including shade which is why we are calling ourselves the Shady Characters. There are parks in Maitland where there is hardly any shade ... and it is also about aesthetics.
"There will be quite a few trees popping up soon.
"We have a Go Fund Me so there will be a lot more trees being planted."
The group has already raised more than $400 with their online campaign, which will used for purchasing native plants.
Maitland Heritage Guardians founder Chris Richards, who spied the phantom gardeners one night outside Mansfield House, applauded the efforts of Maitland's Shady Characters.
Mr Richards said said the community was "sick to death" with the "desert" atmosphere around Maitland.
"They go out at night and plant trees. I imagine the Greens would also be very supportive," he said.
Earlier this month, the Maitland Greens and Maitland Heritage Guardians banded together in protest over the vegetation and tree felling, which was part of the construction of the multi-million dollar Maitland Regional Athletics Centre.
They raised concerns over the loss of habitat and green space.
For more information about the Shady Characters, visit their Facebook page via facebook.com/shadycharactersmaitland/.
