Amber Drop Honey started, as many good things do, with a Google wormhole. When Ana and Sven started researching bees they quickly discovered how precarious their position in the ecosystem is, all over the world. They quickly moved from words on a screen to a couple of backyard hives, then from a hobby to a thriving honey business that rescues and re-homes colonies. Amber Drop is already doing great things for our environment, and now they’re doing even more by partnering with Fifteen Trees to plant trees.

Bees face threats on all sides. Disease, climate change, urbanisation, and out of control deforestation. Planting trees is one way we can help. Trees not only provide food for bees in their own right (depending on the species), they also hold space for flowering shrubs and bushes to thrive in the understory, and offer shelter and protection. We simply cannot do without bees. The list of fruits and vegetables that would disappear from our lives without them is terrifying.

Moyhu, VIC / 65 trees / 2024

The trees were planted by the Greta Valley Landcare Group at Moyhu, on Taungurung country in North East Victoria. They were planted along the Moyhu Walking track, Meadow Creek Rd, Moyhu.

Yandoit, VIC / 100 trees / 2022

These trees were planted at Limestone Road, Yandoit. The contribution allowed the landholder to expand (by 60%) a rehabilitation project amidst some remnant forest where species had been depleted after decades of over-grazing. The species planted included eucalypts, acacia, casuarina and banksia. This site is an important biolink between nature reserves in the district.

Esperance, WA / 60 trees / 2022

The trees were planted by Dalyup River Catchment Group members Dorothy and Richard Henderson. The Dalyup River runs into the Lake Gore RAMSAR listed wetlands of international significance, a place of particular importance to migratory waterbirds. The types of trees planted were 4 different species of melaleuca and 2 different species of acacia or wattle.

The trees have been planted in an area devoid of native vegetation (until now) as early colonial land practise was to remove all trees and shrubs to make room for pastures and stock. In fact, since 1895, 90% of native plants have been removed from along the Dalyup River catchment. This new planting project by the Hendersons will serve as a wildlife corridor between the river and adjoining bushland. The variety of wildlife coming back into the district includes; kangaroos, bandicoots, nightjars, red-capped parrots, galahs, crested pigeons, magpies, butcher birds, blue-tongue lizards, dugites and tiger snakes.

By helping us to re-vegetate this land, you have helped us bring life back to the land. It would not have been possible for us to do the rehabilitation work that we have done without the help of others. Bringing trees back into this landscape has brought it, quite literally, back to life. The most obvious change has been the variety of birds that now come into the district. The trees we plant provide habitat for other creatures, while also serving as wind breaks helping to prevent erosion, and soaking up excess moisture in areas prone to water-logging and salinity.

Dorothy Henderson | Member | Dalyup River Catchment Group

We cannot do without trees either. Ana and Sven recognise that we are all interconnected, and that there is no future in taking without giving back. We love their compostable packaging (including selflessly sharing their sustainable packaging solutions with others in the industry), their bee rescue service, and their commitment to environmental sustainability. The 200 hives (and growing) living on Amber Drop Honey’s property have found a dream home!

Writer – Sarah Hart.

Sarah is an artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven 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. You can find Sarah here.