CERES is an award-winning not-for-profit sustainability centre located on Wurundjeri land, by the banks of the Merri Creek in Brunswick. It’s a rare Melbourne schoolchild who hasn’t enjoyed an excursion or outing to CERES, or been involved in one of its wide range of education programs.

CERES has a broad, multi-faceted reach, with an overall mission to maintain a practical conversation about how we can live well together in a sustainable way. As one small part of this, it encourages schools to offset their CERES excursion travel emissions by contributing to the purchase of two trees per excursion – and many do. From this small gesture of mindfulness on the part of students and their teachers, a living, breathing change can be created hundreds of kilometres away. And this is the message that sustainable ethical businesses and their not-for-profit partners, like CERES, want to get across – no one is tackling climate change on their own.

– Semester One, 2023 / 70 schools / 140 trees –

The trees (and shrubs) were planted by the Greta Landcare Group at Moyhu, on Taungurung country in North East Victoria. The planting was very diverse, with 39 different species planted in clumps across the site. The vegetation in this area is typically comprised of riparian species (Creekline Grassy Woodland/Floodplain Riparian Woodland) along the waterways (Boggy Creek and King River respectively).

– Semester Two, 2023 / 75 schools / 150 trees –

Over time, the trees will provide habitat for local native wildlife (e.g. wallabies, koalas, Wedge-tail Eagles, Yellow-tail cockatoo) and will improve and retain the banks of the river, as well as improve water quality by filtering the runoff that enters the waterway.

Thank you to all the schools who chipped in to purchase 2 trees, your generous contribution is helping to complete these beautiful projects.

Since 2014, we have planted 1,818 trees on the behalf of CERES and their visiting schools. To find all their trees, type CERES into the ‘search box’ on the Fifteen Trees website.

There are individuals and organisations at all levels, in all parts of the country, taking steps to protect our environmental inheritance. We can all join in. By taking many small steps, and working together, we truly can grow change.

If you would like to know more about sponsoring community tree planting projects and how we can assist you in becoming a more sustainable organisation please contact Colleen at <[email protected]>.

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.