Established in 1978 CAVAL is a not-for-profit, member-driven library services consortium based in Melbourne. At CAVAL they aim to facilitate and enhance library services within Australia through strategies for active client engagement and sophisticated services and solutions. CAVAL develops and delivers ‘best of breed library and information solutions’ for stakeholders and support growth and innovation in the library and education communities.

CAVAL annually support our community tree planting projects by purchasing trees from Fifteen Trees to distribute to community groups to plant. This year, we planted 45 trees on their behalf, on the small island in Mollison Creek at Pyalong (traditional land of the Taungurung and Wurundjeri Aboriginal people) by Nulla Vale Landcare Group. Species consisted of a mixture of Red Gum, Swamp Gum, Grey Box, Manna Gum, Yellow Box and Black Wood.

CAVAL is happy to continue the tradition of the past 5 years to plant native trees as speaker gifts for the speakers and facilitators of their virtual activities. This year, the gifts are for facilitators and speakers in the CAVAL Cross-Institutional Library Mentoring Program, the CRIG Seminar and further capability building activities by the Customer Services and Collaboration Network and the Professional Development Interest Group: Mark Hands, Kaye Sullivan, Clare Duffy, Tom Hyde, Zoe Keeghan, Peggy Hsu, Bernadette Gargan, Alison Head, Nilupa Mahanama, Jason Brack, Dipti Mahabal, Carl Buttler, Allison Hadfield, Lenny de Vries, Heidi Babatsikos, Bodil Rasmussen, Michelle Bendall, Kat Cain, Naomi Nirupa David, Chloe Hollard, Meg Bullock, Angela Gleeson, Oscar Gault, Georgia Tsioukis, Michelle De Aizpurua, Lucy Napthali, Alexander Mee, Will Power, Sally Hand, Lisa Callaway, David Trimble, Kylie Nickels, Teagan Clough, Shayna O’Brien, Samuel Cairns, Natalie Benedykt, Sonya Goldberg, Clare O’Hanlon, Nicole Gammie, Rhiannon Evans, Adriene Rodriguez, Rachel Salby, Jenna McCrory, Renee Drozdzynski, Amy Tsilemanis, Diana Swann, Adele Walsh, Anna Rubinowski and Lauren Halcomb-Smith.

Sara Davidsson | Member Services & Governance Lead | CAVAL

The Landcare group has engaged in a program of regenerating the area on the island in Mollison Creek, Pyalong. The island had become overgrown with blackberries, gorse and thistles to the extent that it was inaccessible. Having removed the weeds, including blackberries up to two metres high, the Landcare group have embarked on a native revegetation program in order to restore the island to it’s native condition. Ongoing weeding will be undertaken until the native vegetation has reached a mature state that will naturally reduce and control the weed invasion.

We would like to thank Fifteen Trees and their supporters for contributing to our effort to begin the process of healing this spectacular piece of land. The trees provided will help to protect the few old trees that remain. These trees are better preserved if they have an ecology of smaller supportive trees and bushes around them, along with some young replacement trees that will one day grow to a similar scale. A rich and diverse ecology around these old trees, helps bring back the wildlife and the insects that provide a far more protective environment.

We thank you for your interest and generosity.

James Legge | President | NV&PWLC

The creek and island is inhabited by a range of water birds including Ducks, Blue Cranes and water fowl. Many species of birds in Central Victoria inhabit the area such as Cockatoos, Crimson Rosellas, Corellas and Wrens.

Thank you to Sara Davidsson from CAVAL who contacted Fifteen Trees to organise these trees. To date, we have planted 405 native trees for the consortium. You can find all their trees by typing CAVAL into the Find My Trees page on the website.

If you would like to know more about sponsoring community tree planting projects and how we can assist you in becoming a more sustainable business, 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.