Weekly blog (Tuesdays).
We are now selling fabulous keep-cups supplied by our friends at Earth Bottles. The cups are double-walled stainless steel and have a silicon lid to keep the heat in. For every cup we sell, we plant one tree. With any multiple orders, we throw in a delicious packet of Grounded Pleasures drinking chocolate. Earlier this year, we planted 40 trees in the Mallee for the 40 cups we sold last year. Here is [...]
I had the privilege to visit Sydney recently and I promptly made my way to the Public Library of New South Wales for their annual World Press Photo Exhibition. Now in its 61st year, over 4,500 photographers from 125 countries entered 73,044 photos to the contest. The photos were very powerful. Enlarged to a massive size, they held us all entranced. Needless to say, I was interested in the Nature [...]
100000trees from Colleen Filippa on Vimeo.
For a limited time, we are selling these beautiful cups sourced from the Briody and Danni at Earth Bottles. If you haven't got time to sit and drink your tea or coffee, take it 'to go' in these wonderful double walled stainless steel cups with silicon lids. Your beverage will stay hot for hours. And for every cup sold, we'll plant a tree on your behalf, and include a I <heart> trees badge. [...]
Tips for running a small footprint event. Put someone in charge to ensure the small footprint theme is consistent and promote it as such. Produce an environmental policy for your conferences and meetings. Offer attendees the option of buying a trees for planting by a local community group (see below how Fifteen Trees can help out here). Advise speakers about your small footprint event. Keep all participants informed about your small footprint event. Use/promote businesses that have [...]
Late last year, I was fortunate to be invited along on a world's first ... an all female science expedition to Antarctica in a program called Homeward Bound. This program is a leadership, strategic and science initiative for women, set against the backdrop of Antarctica. It aim is to heighten the influence and impact of women (with science backgrounds) in order to influence policy and decision making as it shapes our planet. [...]
Hi everyone. Competition time! Until mid August we will be running an Ephemeral Art competition. Ephemeral Art is temporary in nature, created from natural objects and often left in a natural setting. These are objects of beauty, meant to be enjoyed for a short time, such as sand sculptures or arrangements of flowers, leaves or bark. To judge our competition, we have the very talented local architect and artist Talina [...]
Huge, huge thank you to all who entered our 'Tree in my neighbourhood' Poetry Competition. Such beautiful writing. We absolutely loved them all. Ross Gillett our judge, took his role very seriously and deliberated for 10 days. He wrote ... It was a pleasure reading these entries - all of them had something unique and passionate to say about a loved tree. My winner is The Old Lady (Brittany Thompson), [...]
Write a poem and be in the running for 'bask aromatherapy' products. Australian owned and made, bask use only the finest, organic, botanical ingredients, gently blended with essential oils. Your skin feel silky soft and your soul soothed. Bliss! 'Tree in my neighbourhood' No rules on the poem, it can rhyme or not, be a Japanese Haiku or even a limerick. The only stipulation is that it is an original [...]
Let me introduce Kemi Nekvapil (AKA the Raw Food Queen) I first met Kemi in 2013 at the first Big Hearted Business Conference when she presented to the group some home truths about food. A funny dynamic woman, Kemi was our first guest speaker and her energy and enthusiasm were catching. Kemi is a hard woman to catch as she is currently traveling around Australia with her family. However, I [...]
Karolina gave me explicit directions to her art studio. However I did not anticipate the majestic sky-line while driving west towards the township of Clunes. I had to keep stopping to take photos of the cumulonimbus clouds. You know the ones! Massive. Running late and anyway only half listening to her earlier directions, I promptly parked the car in her neighbours yard and then unceremoniously climbed through the wire fencing [...]
National Tree Day Sunday July 26th Fifteen Trees has 3 ideas to celebrate! 1. Fifteen Trees are organising a 'tree pose' event in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens on National Tree Day. Tree pose (aka Vrksasana) is a simple standing pose, check it out at Australian Yoga Journal. We are meeting up at 10.00 am near the Sensory Gardens. Please wear black (yoga gear is an option but not necessary) and [...]
I came across Pauline O'Shannessy-Dowling (aka POD) at an art exhibition held in the old Union Building in Ballarat. Straight away I was drawn into her miniature detailed world of skyscrapers, trees and landscapes. I love her work so much that I asked POD to draw for me a collection of trees (indeed 15 trees) which I have since given away as gifts and prizes. POD also designs fabrics and [...]
Poems with a green theme written illicitly on a wall in a public place - love it. Abbottford's Convent, Melbourne I found this poem on the back of a toilet door. 'Bow down to your god, but don't forget about the Earth. Place your hand on a tree, who's helping your breathe? Give thanks to the sun, when you open your lungs. Throw your butts in the [...]
Did you know that Fifteen Trees now offers free mature trees to community groups in the Ballarat district! I can provide 2-3m tall Golden Ashes, English Elms, Claret Ashes, Silver Birches, London Plane and even orchard trees. Unfortunately, there are no established Eucalyptus as they are best grown from tube stock (due to tap roots). Normal retail price is between $28 and $54. Chris Gartlan and Rebecca checking out the mature trees. [...]
I wanted an excuse to forge a connection with some of the great people I discover in my travels and thought what better way than to interview them? When I get a little more techno savvy, I'll try my hand at videoing, but for now it is simply questions and answers. Old school! This month, in my series of 'Time with ...' can I please introduce Jo Wilbow from Black [...]
Every day when I travel along the streets of Ballarat, I see sights like the one shown here. I suspect we have all seen the effect of tree trimming by our local councils (and their contractors) as they make way for the power-lines. Here in Ballarat however, we have an extra thicker black cable (Neighborhood Cable*) which sits a good few meters under the power lines. This makes the trimming [...]
I'd been keeping an eye on this little house for years, watching the place slowly become dilapidated and waiting for the inevitable trashing and redevelopment into 38 dog boxes (you know ... units with no thought as to sustainability, livability or community). The cyclone fencing went up, the workers arrived and I thought yep, there goes another small part of our history. Then lo and behold they started to paint the [...]
The Green Question We are all trying our best at treading a little lighter on the Earth; some of us are truly inspirational while some of us - well aren’t quite there yet. But there is one thing we all can do that could have a huge positive impact. In a survey conducted in 2008 by Newspoll, it was revealed that 90% of customers want companies to take the lead on climate [...]
A Great Green App I’ve just found a great green app* Shop Ethical ($4.95). It's great because now we have a means to check up on the green ethics of companies and products before we buy. And that is Powerful! Let’s say you want to buy an air freshener! (A fake smelly propellant as apposed to a beautiful scented candle or oil burner). You simply look up the brand name [...]
