Catherine Hayes and Ballarat Indoor Go Karts, we thank you! This year, the centre signed up for an ongoing commitment of 28 native trees (purchased monthly) to represent the 28 Go Karts operating in their Go Kart centre, thereby helping to run their business with a smaller carbon footprint. This equates to 366 per year. A forest no less!

 

Ballarat Indoor Go Karts have been a local institution for all ages for the past 30 years. Located in Ballarat North, in what has always been an entertainment/amusement arena for well over four or more decades. It is within this precinct that families, and adults alike, go for entertainment and fun, and is a favoured destination for children’s parties.

A delightful way to spend some time, escaping the world and unleashing some inner playtime in us all, the Ballarat Indoor Go Karts has always offered really excellent and affordable entertainment for many generations of Ballarat folks, and is a much-loved destination, particularly at school holiday time.

 

Recently we organised the planting of 90 native trees at Grenville, VIC on the behalf of Catherine and her team. The trees were planted on the property of the Hutchins family who have been working for many years to restore the land to its original vegetation and to hopefully encourage more native wildlife to call the area home.

Over the past 9 years, Emily and Jason Hutchins have done significant work on the river flats to remove blackberry, and gorse to rehabilitate the area with native vegetation. Assistance from companies such as Ballarat Go Karts go a huge way to helping restore land that has been degraded in the past by mismanagement and a lack of understanding for the land.

 

 

These 90 new trees will provide habitat for local fauna, help prevent washing and erosion of the riverbanks during high flows, and increase the diversity of insect life, which in turn supports greater biodiversity in the river ecosystem. Native animals such as platypus, echidnas, parrots, magpies, kookaburras, cockatoos, eels and spiny freshwater crayfish will have new homes thanks to this revegetation work by the Hutchins family.

 

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Fifteen Trees, especially for supporting the trees planted at Grenville. The planting of these trees will be cherished by our family and the community today, and by future generations. Not only have we created new habitats and biodiversity, but by involving our children in the planting, we’ve taught them the importance of restoring trees and biodiversity in our landscape.

Emily and Jason Hutchens | Members | Grenville Landcare

 

Of course, this isn’t just about planting trees. It’s also about creating homes, sanctuaries, and thriving ecosystems where our iconic native wildlife can flourish. Thank you to Ballarat Go Karts for coming together with us to make a real difference for our native environment.

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 – Lou Ridsdale

Lou a green thumb, Earth Lover, big-hearted nature freak, plus a savvy media and horticulture expert, who passionately believe that everyone can lead a more nourishing and sustainable life. Lou founded Food Is Free Inc., a unique grassroots food security platform specialising in food security education. You can find Lou here.