Care for land and sea go hand in hand. All interacts and all is of the same beneficial ecosystem. Skretting, a global leader in nutritional solutions and services for aquaculture, based in Tasmania, know this to be true and have been planting trees with us since 2013. This year, they helped us plant 1,000 native trees in Tasmania; 500 on Bruny Island and another 500 at Coal Valley. Over the past decade, Skretting have helped local community groups plant just over 10,000 trees.

Food security is something that should concern us all. Needless to say, it goes hand in hand with responsible environmental stewardship. One company that takes both issues very seriously is Skretting, a sustainability-award-winning world leader in the manufacture and supply of aquaculture feed.

Skretting’s primary focus is on its research and development of sustainable aquaculture feed, but it also places a high value on the saying, ‘think global, act local’.

Like the aquatic systems Skretting works with, natural landscapes are incredibly complex, layered ecosystems. The plants planted at both sites (Bruny Is and Coal River) comprise a selection of indigenous grasses, shrubs and trees that will form a solid matrix for future plantings. They will contribute to community well-being, cleaner air, wildlife habitat, soil stability and water filtration for many years to come.

Site A | 500 trees | Dodges Ferry, TAS

The site is part of a sensitive wetland area adjacent to Dodges Ferry Primary School, land of the Mumirimina People. The positioning of this site, next to the school and popular walking track will enable the children from the school to be involved with its growth and maintenance. This opportunity has helped the children to deepen their relationship with this area and to give back to the community and environment.

The planting will provide habitat for animals, and the wetland species will stablise the banks of the local creek and slow down erosion. This district is home to Hooded Plovers, Banjo Frogs, Blue-tongue lizards and families of magpies and rosellas.

Thank you so much for your kind and generous contribution to enhancing our local habitat and enriching our children’s lives through direct participation in protecting their local environment.

Sonja Ralph | Environmental Teacher | Dodges Ferry Primary School

Site B | 500 trees | Coal River, TAS

Zoodoo is set on the hinterlands of the Coal River Tier, a beautiful bushland backdrop directly adjoining the zoos rear boundary. Situated between the towns of Tea Tree and Richmond, the 2000 acres of dry forest clads the western escarpment of the Coal River Tier. Zoodoo manages around 15% of this significant patch of threatened vegetation.

Towering 350m above the zoo, the Tiers forested slopes are isolated from other bushland remnants in the region by adjoining human modified environs. The bushland has become an ‘island adrift in a sea of agriculture’. After a preliminary assessment of the site by the Tasmanian Land Conservancies Land for Wildlife program, the refuge has been found to hold some significant biodiversity values. Early results of monitoring in the refuge with automatic wildlife detection cameras have identified multiple individual endangered Tasmanian Devils and vulnerable Spotted tailed quolls breeding and living on the Tier.

Other interesting animals recorded in the area include; eastern barred bandicoot, Green and Gold Frog, Tasmanian Bettong, wombats, pademelons, bennetts wallabies, echidnas, and wedgetailed eagles.

Zoodoo is protecting and managing this reserve at Coal River Tier for its natural values plus promoting connectivity and ecosystem services. Developing innovative approaches to engage the community and zoo visitors in this exciting project will be instrumental in defining future directions for Zoodoo.

Some neighbouring properties along the Tier have also recognized the natural values of this vegetation with a conservation covenant on one 320 acre title and a Land for Wildlife block on another 55 acres. The Zoo hopes to seek further collaboration with the aim of promoting the protection and management of this valuable native forest remnant. This has been made possible by Skretting’s sponsorship of the initial project.

Here at Fifteen Trees, we are always happy to have a chat about the best way to incorporate CSR into your organisation. It’s a lovely way to connect with the broader community and reduce some of your company’s environmental impacts. If interested, please contact Colleen at <[email protected]>.

Writer: Colleen B. Filippa

With a background in Environmental Science, Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees. In 2009, after 20 years in primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions, Colleen left the classroom to start the company. Fifteen Trees is a social enterprise assisting individuals and companies to reduce their carbon footprint by supporting community groups such as Landcare, schools and environmental networks.