Barwon Timber is an independent family owned business established in 1980. When they contacted us to assist in organising a tree planting day for employees and their families, we jumped at the opportunity to plant native trees in the Brisbane Ranges with them.
Barwon Timber believes that when managed responsibly, timber is one of the most environmentally sustainable building products available. Here’s what they say about how they aim to run a more sustainable business:
Now they can add, planting trees to their list of sustainable practices.
The rain held out for our tree planting day with the team from Barwon Timber and the Brisbane Ranges Landcare Group at a property adjacent to the Brisbane Ranges National Park. Under tough ground conditions (climbing into and out of the gully was a challenge), the trees were planted over the course of a few hours in August along a local creek bed. These trees will help establish a biolink between the adjacent National Park and the small outcrops of native vegetation on private land, and also help stabilise the creek bed that has been greatly eroded. These trees will give native animals in the district a safer passage between the creek and the park, as well as providing them with future homes and food sources.
Trees planted on the day included; wattles (Silver, Lightwood, Black, Myrtle, Golden, and Varnish), Banksias (Silver and Sweet), Bottlebrushes, Correas, eucalyptus species (River Red Gum, Broadleaf Peppermint, Yellow Gum, Red Stringybark, Yellow Box, Grey Box, Messmate, Red Box and Manna Gum), Hakeas and Tea-trees. A great variety to ensure a biodiverse planting. The trees were sourced from local indigenous nursery Birds In The Bush.
A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to organising a tree planting day. Thank you to Rob, Simon and Rosemary from BRLG for organising the day and for delivering the plants and laying out the tree guards, stakes and plants.
Barwon Timber turned out once again to plant native trees in the You Yang district of Victoria. Joining up with Brisbane Ranges Landcare, the team of 18 planted 500 trees over the course of a mornings work.
The team planted at a property on the Staughton Vale Rd in Balliang, VIC, very close to the You Yangs Regional Park and just 500m down the road from last year’s planting. The trees were a mixture of species indigenous to the district and were sourced from 3 local nurseries.
We would like to thank all the enthusiastic people from Barwon Timber for their commitment and hard work getting over 500 trees and shrubs planted and giving up their Sunday.
This brilliant initiative will enable us to attract beneficial bugs birds and other native wildlife into our property. We have been gradually implementing regenerative principles within our farm and a huge part of this is planting native trees and shrubs.
As they grow, they will transform the waterway that runs through our property and the new nature corridor we have created is going to be an amazing habitat for so many small and large birds and animals. The hard work and dedication that has gone into this project has been greatly appreciated.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Shaun & Zoe Adams | Granite Rise Farm | Brisbane Ranges Landcare
These trees are crucial to the local terrain, mountains, rivers and flora/fauna in the Brisbane Ranges. Over time, a wildlife corridor with the trees, will be created for native animals to travel safely between the adjoining Regional Park to the numerous native reserves in the district. The trees were selected to promote beneficial insects and pollinators. To also promote biodiversity, over 20 species of trees indigenous to the district were planted. Trees such as; Hedge Wattle, Drooping Sheoak, Silver Banksia, River Red Gum, Yellow Box and Gum, Grey Box, Messmate, Red Box and Manna Gum.
On Sunday, July 5th, Fifteen Trees and Barwon Timber met up in the You Yangs to plant 500 native trees on the property of Brisbane Ranges Landcare members James and Sue. After a few hours of teamwork and coordination, all trees were in the ground.
Thank you to Barwon Timber for your hard work this morning to plant out 500 native trees in a new conservation area on our property. Left to us, this would have taken weeks and weeks of backbreaking work. Three hours and you had ‘slammed it’.
James and Sue | Landcare Members | Brisbane Ranges Landcare
With sunny skies and mild weather, we spent the good part of 3 hours digging holes, planting trees, establishing the tree guards, and then watering in the new trees.
The tree planting project undertaken in this gully this morning is part of a bigger conservation story. Over to the east of this planting site, a group called Koala Clancy are busy planting out 1,000s of koala habitat trees. In the gully next to us, Pana Chocolate is doing much the same.
All plantings have the same goal – to provide habitat trees and safe passage for wild koalas in this district.
We are working towards linking up and creating something called a bio-corridor. This corridor will link the native reserves of the Brisbane Ranges to the You Yangs and provide a safe corridor for koalas and indeed all native animals to move from one area of the district to another.
Robert Hall | Coordinator | Brisbane Ranges Landcare
Thank you to Rob and Mark for organising this day on the behalf of Barwon Timber. Thank you also to Robert Hall from Brisbane Landcare for coordinating the site and the trees (which were a mixture of local Acacia, Banksia, Bursaria and Eucalyptus) and thank you to Sue and James for the fabulous fire and snags at the end of the morning’s work.
Writer: Colleen Filippa
Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees. Her background is in environmental education. In 2009, after 20 years in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, Colleen left the classroom to start Fifteen Trees. Fifteen Trees is a social enterprise (putting people and planet first) that assists individuals and companies to reduce their carbon footprint through the support of community groups such as Landcare, environmental networks and friends groups.
Restoring Australian ecosystems. Supporting communities with their revegetation projects for a greener and healthier planet.
Fifteen Trees acknowledges Indigenous Australians as the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work, live and play.
We recognise that Indigenous Australians have cared for and lived in harmony with this land for millennia, and their knowledge and wisdom of the land endures.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and stand in solidarity as Indigenous Australians seek a fairer and more sustainable future for the land and its people.