The average Australian lifestyle uses 15,000kg of carbon per year. If that sounds like a lot, it is. A tree collects and stores 268kg over its lifetime. This means, every year we need to plant 58 trees to bring our individual carbon consumption down to zero. A little tricky for most of us to do in our own backyards, which is where Fifteen Trees comes in. Last year, we set [...]
If the touches of gold in the trees hadn’t alerted you already, Autumn is upon us. Here, in the Central Goldfields VIC, the Aboriginal season of Kooyang (season of eels) seems to be giving way early to Gwangal Moronn (season of honey bees). It’s a time of slowing down, breathing out, reflection, gratitude. This year, let’s take some time out to reflect on our own special trees. We [...]
Want your company to walk the talk when it comes to working sustainably? Here at Fifteen Trees we have you covered with plenty of options of how you can help give some love to the planet plus engage more with your employees and customers. 1. Reduce the carbon footprint of your office. Roughly an employee (EFT) generates 15,000 kg of carbon dioxide per year. If that sounds like [...]
As one of our most challenging Australian summers ever, drags towards autumn, many of us are feeling a sadness that’s a little hard to articulate. Maybe we catch a passing news byte and learn that Tasmania’s kelp forests are dying. Maybe it’s an image of dead fish in the Darling that brings tears to our eyes. Sometimes it’s a shattering new economic reality, for others it’s a heart-wrenching loss [...]
I am in love with trees and I am definitely not immune when it comes to hugging one. It might not seem rational, yet when I get close to these beautiful and quiet swaying giants; I truly believe they are my family. I feel like they are our ancient grandparents, or compassionate witnesses when it comes to time and history. Not every person I know feels so passionate about the [...]
How do you let a truly wonderful teacher know just how appreciated they are? A box of chocolates doesn’t seem quite the right fit for someone who has nurtured a group of tiny human beings through a whole year, helping them grow as individuals, instilling a deep love of learning, and equipping them with skills that will last a lifetime. We all know the long hours and emotional resilience required [...]
Belinda Coates has a birthday coming up. On Monday November 25th to be exact. This year, Belinda is doing something different! For her birthday, Belinda is asking her friends and family to buy her a tree (or trees) for planting in the Ballarat district during the upcoming winter/spring. Once planted, this blog will be updated with photos of the trees and a short story about the tree planting day. Everyone [...]
Help us plant a memorial Forest in Wagga Wagga for Tamaris. On 12 November last year, my darling sister, Tamaris Pfeiffer Tait, died suddenly aged 45 years. She left behind a wonderful husband and three beautiful young children. To honour her memory on this first anniversary, her family and friends wish to plant a little forest. As a teen, Tamaris spent her first pocket money on a tree to [...]
How much do trees mean to you? This might seem like a strange question, but it’s important we acknowledge and respect the trees around us for what they do. With recent news stories coming out of Victoria showing that the value of trees goes far beyond what they do for the environment, maybe it’s time we all stopped to have a real conversation about our attitudes. It’s common knowledge [...]
Carolyn Denton has a birthday coming up. On Tuesday 24th September to be exact. This year, Carolyn is doing something different! For her birthday, Carolyn is asking her friends and family to buy her a tree (or trees). She is aiming for 100 trees! Two trees for every year she has 'circled the sun' and then an extra 8 to round up! Carolyn's trees will be planted before the end [...]
Are you trying to add some trees to your garden and are unsure of what varieties will suit your needs best? There are many factors that come into play when deciding on trees for your home, from aesthetics to functionality. We have some amazing native trees in Australia, but there are also a number of reasons to choose deciduous trees as well. Keep reading to learn more about both [...]
Dear Team HB, I am so delighted hear that some of you may purchase trees through Fifteen Trees to reduce the carbon footprint of your journey to Antartica with HB. The UN report, that I believe HB3 team commissioned, calculated that each woman was responsible for 9 tonnes (9,000kg) of carbon emissions. In tree terms: 9,000kg equates to 33 trees! Over it's lifetime, a tree will collect 268kg of carbon [...]
If you enjoy wandering round quirky, chic homewares shops you’re probably familiar with Angus & Celeste. For those that haven’t wandered in quite the right direction, Angus & Celeste is a Victorian ceramics studio that has become known for its distinctive modern Australian aesthetic. Delicate gum leaves, sprays of native flowers; the shapes, colours and textures of the Victorian landscape – all find their way on and into Angus & [...]
We all know how important trees are ... from the benefit to our physical and mental health, to producing oxygen, absorbing CO2, and even increasing house prices, trees are the gifts that keep on giving. With so many exciting benefits to our health and the community, there’s never a bad time to plant a tree. Planting a tree means more time enjoying the greenery and less time waiting for seedlings [...]
Why do trees matter? We all know that trees help create the air we all breath and filter out nasty pollution. But the benefits of planting trees goes so much further. In fact, trees play a vital role in all of our lives. In 2018, more than 310,000 people took part in National Tree Day, helping to plant more than 1.1 million native trees, shrubs, and edibles. Whether you are [...]
When Vinita was a tiny girl running around her grandfather’s cotton and mustard seed mill, jumping on weighing scales and exploring the fields, she never imagined her life would circle back to this experience in the most extraordinary way. Today Vinita is Bhumi, an Australian-based textiles company with international reach. Bhumi is seeking to reshape the cotton industry by walking the talk on sustainable, ethical, socially responsible business practices. Vinita [...]
Raising money for your school while at the same time supporting community groups with their tree planting projects.How does it work?Students sell trees to their families and friends in the form of 'tree cards'. Actual trees or plants are not distributed.Trees cost $5.00 ($4.00 goes toward the cost of getting the trees planted and $1.00 goes towards the school's fund-raising campaign).In exchange for buying a tree, the customer receives a [...]
Fifteen Trees can help make you run small carbon footprint events by organising the planting of one tree for each attendee at a cost of $4.80/tree (includes GST). The trees are planted by community groups (such as schools and Landcare) and are sourced from local independent nurseries. With enough notice, photos of the trees can be made available at the conference for you to show your attendees. Here is an idea: pop an [...]
Last year, we ran an Instagram campaign called 'Trees of Where I am' and invited our followers to send in photos of trees they came across. Over the months, we collected 60 tree photos tagged with @15.trees and #treesofwhereIam, #treesofwhereyouare and #treesofinstagram. As a result of this campaign and to say thank you for joining in, we then went out and planted 60 trees - one tree for every photo [...]
Every year, Fifteen Trees acknowledges our supporters by organising the planting of one tree on the behalf of every Fifteen Trees subscriber. At last count, we have 210 lovely peeps who subscribe to our E-News (which comes out 4 times/year). So, out we went and we purchased 210 trees for Chris Cobern and the Upper Goulburn Landcare Network. This is truly beautiful countryside. Nestled in the hills and valleys of [...]
