Working for ecological justice is one of many missions ascribed to by members of the congregation at Ballarat Central Uniting Church. The church community values and supports sustainable ways of living to ensure the wellbeing of our global family. They do this by building partnerships with community groups, government, not for-profit organisations and the philanthropic sector to achieve greater social impact. For over 35 years, it has delivered fundamental support to thousands of people in the Ballarat community.

I feel I can speak on behalf of the Congregation of the Ballarat Central Uniting Church when I say we are trying to follow our Christian belief that we are custodians of the Earth and its flora and fauna.

Jan Souter | Member | Ballarat Central Uniting Church

Ballarat and District, VIC | 142 trees | 2024

This year, we planted BCUC trees at 3 locations in the Ballarat District. Namely at Creswick, Napoleons and Grenville, all on traditional Wadawurrung Land.

Site A | Creswick | 20 trees

Landholder Celeste Hevey has been committed to revegetation for over a decade on her 20 acre property near Ballarat. This season, an additional 20 trees were planted with the assistance of BCUC. Celeste’s revegetation efforts has been undertaken to improve habitat as well as to sequester carbon. The new plantings will provide food and shelter for Yellow Tail Black Cockatoos, Gang Gang Cockatoos, Willie Wagtails, Robin Red Breasts, Nankeen Kestrels and Tawny Frogmouths!

The property is on the Victorian Volcanic Plains and the revegetating project aims to be a Plains Grassy Woodland habitat similar to that which would have grown here, prior to white settlement. Trees planted included Acacias, Sheoaks, a variety of eucalypts, plus Hakeas and Tea-trees. All local species to the area.

I hope to encourage animals that naturally live on the margins of forests to be accommodated here and extend the habitat adjacent to a nearby creek. This planting is part of a long-term plan. Some of the animals we are planning to support need very old hollowed trees for breeding, but we are in it for the long haul and even though we won’t be around to see black cockatoos breeding in the trees we plant, we feel lucky that we have the land to be able to enable this to happen.have noticed over the time that we have been planting that many more smaller birds are coming into the property.

Celeste Hevey | Member | Creswick Landcare Group.

Site B | Napoleons, VIC | 70 trees

At Napoleon Enfield Landcare Group, they are focused on transforming a huge flood plain in the bend of the Yaramlok (or Yarrowee River) that was once ploughed up and then abandoned. The rabbits ate out most of the vegetation so that only feral animals such as foxes and cats and weeds lived here. Starting with weed control and fencing, the group have continued their restoration work this year with further plantings to bring back the biodiversity that once occupied the area. These new trees and shrubs will grow tall, despite and actually benefitting from floods, helping with reducing carbon emissions into the future. Over time, this area will be linked to the nearby forests and river plantings to give the environment a good chance to grow at its best, despite a changing climate.

It is our foremost aim to bring back biodiversity to the surrounds of the Yarrowee Creek, south of the city of Ballarat. Thank you kindly for your support in our native restoration projects.

Jenny Ryle | Co-ordinator | Napoleons Enfield National Park

Site C | Grenville | 52 trees

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 organisations such as BCUC 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 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 have new homes thanks to this revegetation work by the Hutchins.

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 | Landholders | Grenville

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

Axe Creek, VIC | 90 trees | 2023

The trees (90) were planted at Axe Creek on property Dja Dja Wurrung land, known as djandak. The site has a Trust for Nature covenant on it to preserve it in perpetuity. The Campaspe River and Mosquito Creek run through the site.

Due to long-term grazing, the understory had been destroyed with very little native grass, native shrubs or flowers remaining. The beautiful big old eucalypts were intact though. Close to the river they are the iconic River Red Gums and higher up away from the river it is mainly Grey Box, many of which are large and very old with numerous hollows. Three of these trees are registered scar trees.

The project, in simple terms, has been to remove the sheep, progressively eradicate the weeds and introduced grasses and plant indigenous grasses and shrubs in their place. Kangaroo grass, wallaby grass, wattle varieties, Austral indigo, various native daisies, hop bush, hakea and weeping she-oaks are some of the species that have been planted at this site.

The property is blessed with a wide range of wildlife, such as;  kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, echidnas, platypus, possums, a wonderful array of birds and reptiles. Some of the more interesting examples are the Tawney Frogmouth, Powerful owl, Azure Kingfisher, Spotted Pardalote, Tree Creeper and Robin Redbreast.

In early September, we began planting the trees that we were supplied to us from sponsors of Fifteen Trees. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this wonderful assistance we have received.

Bill & Jo Morrissey | Members | Axe Creek Landcare

Brisbane Ranges, VIC | 110 trees | 2022

This year, the good people from Ballarat Central Uniting Church raised funds to enable Fifteen Trees to plant 110 native trees in the Brisbane Ranges of Victoria in collaboration with the Koala Clancy Foundation. An independent not-for-profit organisation, the Koala Clancy Foundation’s mission is to provide better protection of wild koalas by planting trees for them to create new habitat. Since 2016, the Foundation has planted over 80,700 koala trees in the You Yangs and East Gippsland regions of Victoria and this year, they added another 110 trees thanks to the caring community at BCUC.

The native tree species included River-red gum, Yellow gum, Manna gum, Sweet Bursaria, Wirilda and Lightwood. All trees were sourced from local indigenous nursery at Western Plains Flora. Koala Clancy is working with landowners and councils to provide connecting habitat corridors for their local wild koala populations.

At the Koala Clancy Foundation, koalas are their top priority and to properly care for one species, they have to care for the entire ecosystem. When they plant trees for koalas, they are also providing habitat for local bird species such as these 4 threatened woodland birds; Speckled Warbler (top L), Diamond Firetail (top R), Brown Treecreeper bottom L) and Jacky Winter (bottom R).

Grampians, VIC | 153 trees | 2021

Ballarat Central Uniting Church raised $820 via a coin line fundraiser to purchase 153 trees for community groups in the Grampians District of Victoria for planting, and facilitated by us with Buloke and Northern Grampians Landcare Network, who also have a long history in caring for country.

This much appreciated fundraising effort, hosted by the Church’s Social Justice Group, demonstrated that they are very concerned about Climate Change, and as many of the Congregation have settled in Ballarat from rural areas, they deeply appreciate the gift of trees and the impact that has.

The Uniting Church has a very strong Social Justice arm, and are a ‘vibrant, active, inclusive Christian church, committed to follow the way of Jesus, and to serve our community and world through both the work of the congregation and Uniting Ballarat.’

Their Tongan Minister was right there with them, and the group additionally gave some financial support to Refugees. This is not surprising with their own community encompassing a diverse background, with a mixture of life experience, culture, age and theological outlook, and always welcoming all people.

They have a particular focus and commitment of being in relationship and community with those who are isolated, ostracised, and disadvantaged by social and political structures.

The trees and native bushes planted in the region will go a long way in securing a more protected habitat for one of our cutest marsupials, the Squirrel glider. Sometimes confused with their cousins, the Sugar glider, the way to tell them apart is that the Squirrel gliders are twice their size and less vocal. They do love climbing trees but take shelter in tree hollows during the day and will only venture out at night.

“We want to regenerate lost habitats, create biolinks on agricultural land, enhance and help nature and celebrate our 35th Landcare Anniversary.”

Andrew Borg | Coordinator | BNGLN

 

Writer: Bronwyn Blaiklock.

Bronwyn, is a multidisciplinary creative: a poet, a pianist, a reformed perfectionist. She has worked in the creative and education sectors for over 25 years. Find Bronwyn here.