The tree planting culminated from a Committee For Ballarat initiative, born whilst hosting a Round Table Talk featuring Damon Gameau of 2040 fame, who was in town in February for various functions promoting his film Regenerating Australia. The tree planting was funded from donations collected that evening at the talk, collected from Committee For Ballarat members and other community members.

On a very foggy, crisp but deliciously sunny morning, students from Newington Primary School, St Patrick’s College and Ballarat Grammar School descended upon the site at Ballarat’s Victoria Park, and together with Daniel Siemensma and his team from  City of Ballarat, a beautiful new corridor of trees and shrubs were dug into the frosty ground.

A mixture of species indigenous to the area including Blackwood, Scent-bark, Messmate, Swamp Gum and Sticky Hop-bush were amongst the tree types carefully planted by the group of volunteers. Given the schools proximity to the site, we hope the students can return as the years pass by to see their tiny saplings grow into grand trees, providing shade, shelter for animals and pumping out more oxygen into Ballarat’s skyline.

This was the second set of tree plantings we have completed at Ballarat’s Victoria Park, with the other site being very close by to the new one, which was planted out in 2021, and covered in this blog.

We thank Kate Davis, Michael Poulson and the rest of the amazing team at Committee For Ballarat for their wonderful collaboration in this project. Along with City of Ballarat, the three aforementioned schools involved, plus various other volunteers, including community members just keen to donate their funding and time to plant a green canopy in our township once they heard of the planting day. Also assisting on the day was Mayor of Ballarat Cr. Daniel Moloney and Liberal MP Louise Stanley (Ripon). And of course, thank you to Damon Gameau for always inspiring us all to do better for our planet.

ABC News also covered the day, and you can read more here.

Writer – Lou Ridsdale

Lou is a big fan of words and has been our Comms Manager since 2019.

She is a green thumb, Earth Lover, big-hearted nature freak, plus a savvy media and horticulture expert, who passionately believe that everyone can lead a more nourishing and sustainable life. Her passion for education + communication being the most empowering tool for change is reflected in her setting up her side hustle Hey Hoe Let’s Grow. She also founded Food Is Free Inc., a unique grassroots food security platform specialising in food security education. She fell in love with trees after reading The Magic Faraway Tree as a child.

You can find Lou here

If you are interested in how your business and Fifteen Trees could work together, contact Lou at <[email protected]> and ask for a no obligation proposal or check out our COMPANY page for more info.