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 of teachers, and we all wonder, at times, just how they manage to keep doing it! And then there are those teachers who not only cope, but excel, leaving a mark on the heart that stays for a lifetime. One such wonderful Ballarat teacher is Svantje, who has given the twenty children in her class the most beautiful start to their school career any parent could hope for.

For Christmas, and to say thank you, the parents of the children in Svantje’s class have decided to plant twenty trees in her name, one for each child. Fifteen Trees will arrange for these to be planted where they are most needed, to strengthen the soil, to clean the air, to provide homes and food for native wildlife. They’ll be growing strong long after the children have left school and made their rich and varied marks on the world. Planting trees is a gesture of faith in the future. Just like Svantje’s love and care for the children she teaches.

Svantje’s trees were planted at Campbell’s Bridge VIC in May 2020. Located in the Northern Grampians, this small township of just 27 residents take great pride in their town and surrounding countryside.

This project is the start of a larger biodiversity project connecting an earlier native planting on a neighbouring property.

Sarah Hart

Sarah is an artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven creative work. Her aim is to delight, to reveal glimpses of everyday beauty, and to celebrate flights of the ordinary. Sarah works across a range of media, with an abiding interest in pen and ink, mixed media and the human form.