Bask Aromatherapy, Melbourne based makers of plant-based luxury items specially designed to relax and heal.  Founder and Aromatherapist, Siobhán from Bask Aromatherapy has had a long dedication to helping our environment – not only via tree planting, but the very essence of her business is about natural, plant-based ingredients which she uses in her own luxurious range of day spa-esque products. Therefore, teaming up with Fifteen Trees to connect the circle by planting one tree for every online order seemed like a totally natural fit.

Bask Aromatherapy was established in 2014, inspired by a dream to promote self-care at home. Being an Aromatherapist, my speciality is creating unique essential oil blends and combining them with luxurious textures. The bask product range is produced in Melbourne to my formulations, and some I hand make. We use premium quality, botanical ingredients from sustainable farms. Our products are vegan friendly, not tested on animals, grey water safe with minimal and recyclable packaging.

We do our best to keep things local, so investing in tree planting programs is a logical step for this small business. We have worked with Fifteen Trees from the beginning and have planted quite a few trees over the years and are happy to keep planting.

Siobhán McCuskey | Founder  & Aromatherapist| BASK

2023 |  Bendigo Streamside Reserve | 60 trees

These trees are forming part of regeneration and habitat projects where they will grow to stabilise soil, provide shade and food to native fauna, and encourage biodiversity.

The trees were planted during a community event within the Bendigo Creek Streamside Reserve on Djaara country.  The site is significant to Northern Bendigo Landcare Group because it is part of their Bendigo Creek Habitat Restoration Project. This Project is ongoing, indeed the group have been working on it for the past 10 years. Their aim is to boost the ailing Creekline Grassy Woodland vegetation community.

This particular site had been revegetated in 2019 but was then lost to fire during January 2020 and NBLG have been replacing plantings since. Some River Red Gums have survived, more have germinated due to the fire but very few shrubs or grasses remained.  The Landcare group have been holding group working bees to add mass plantings of native plants in exclusion plots for protection from rabbits. The group planted Lightwood Wattle, Black Wattle, Yellow Box and Golden Wattle that will provide shelter and food for local native animals such as sugar gliders, brushtail possums and honeyeater birds.

2021 / Mornington Peninsula / 135 trees

The community spirit was flying high when an amazing group of close to 100 humans gathered at Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation (MPKC) to plant out 1,000 trees and shrubs in total at Coolart Wetlands on a moody foggy morning, of which 135 were kindly donated by Bask Aromatherapy. 

The plantings were held during school holidays which meant loads of kids could pitch in to help us (well done guys – you are amazing!) and the trees will help provide habitat for not only one of our most iconic Australian animals – the koala!

Special shout-out to our friends at Our Song Lines who are celebrating Naidoc week with us. We couldn’t think of a better way to ‘Heal Country’. Today would not have been possible with the amazing sponsors behind Fifteen Trees. A heartfelt thank you to BASK.

Dirk Jansen | Coordinator | MPKC

2020 / Kinglake, VIC / 100 trees

Bask Aromatherapy‘s latest 100 trees were planted at Kinglake, north-east of Melbourne in the Murrindindi Shire. Just over a decade ago the district was devastated by the Black Saturday fires. This tragedy, on top of the usual land degradation from overuse and insensitive farming practices, has left local Landcare groups and responsible landowners with plenty of work to do. The trees will help with soil stability, water table cleansing, habitat growth, and more.

2019 / Flowerdale, VIC / 500 trees

This time round we planted 500 trees on behalf of Bask Aromatherapy. These were purchased from an independent native nursery and planted in the winter months on Steve and Heather Joblin’s Flowerdale property in the Murrindindi Shire. Steve and Heather are committed Flowerdale Landcare members, and have been working on improving habitat corridors and encouraging indigenous revegetation on their property (as well as in the broader community) for over twenty years.

Bask Aromatherapy’s trees were planted on a site set aside for a project called ‘Trees for Bees’. The project involves replacing sustainably harvested non-indigenous Tasmanian Bluegums with Red Box, Yellow Box, Grey Box, and Red Stringybark, as well as suitable ground flora and sub-canopy species. The resulting growth will provide a diverse corridor of cover for local fauna, as well as great nectar sources for bees.

The importance of establishing healthy native flora corridors, particularly on privately owned property, cannot be overstated. Without the cooperation and generosity of landowners, and of mindful sponsors like Bask Aromatherapy, our beautiful reserves and parks can become islands. When our local fauna can traverse the landscape safely, carrying native seeds, encouraging bees and insects and slowing erosion, ecosystems are given a buffer against fire, disease, and other threats.

Bask Aromatherapy, like our Landcare friends Steve and Heather, believe that individuals of all kinds can make a difference. Siobhan can’t plant five hundred trees in the middle of Melbourne – but by reaching out to us on behalf of her customers she has tapped into a community of change. And now there is a small but flourishing brand-new bee-friendly forest making its slow and steady way into the heart of the Victorian landscape.

2017 / Murrindindi Shire, VIC / 120 trees

The Flowerdale and Marysville district of Victoria have been working steadily to revegetate since the devastating 2010 Victorian fires. The Landcare groups in this area, are some of hardest working ones in the country. To that end, Fifteen Trees have been supplying trees to them in their thousands. This time round, we were able to donate 3,000 trees of which 120 were kindly donated by Bask Aromatherapy.

Siobhan and her team only use the finest, organic, botanical ingredients which are then gently blended with essential oils. To maintain premium quality, freshness is a priority. That’s why they produce their products in small batches. Siobhan chips in for one tree for every internet order. Great sustainable company, seriously … check them out.

If you are also interested in how your business and Fifteen Trees could work together, contact Colleen at <[email protected]>.

Writer – Lou Ridsdale

Lou is a big fan of words and has been our Comms Manager since 2019.

She is a big-minded green thumb, Earth Lover, big-hearted nature freak plus a savvy media and horticulture expert, who passionately believe that everyone is capable of leading a more nourishing and sustainable life. Her passion for education + communication being the most empowering tool for change is reflected in her setting up her own digital/comms agency Hey Hoe Let’s Grow Socials. She also founded Food Is Free Inc. a unique grassroots food security platform specialising in food security education.

You can find Lou here