In February this year (along the banks of the Yarra) I set up a Fifteen Trees stall as part of the Sustainable Living Festival. It was three days of beautiful weather, 100’s of visitors, endless cups of coffee and talking non-stop about trees. During this time a number of festival goers decided to carbon offset their cars with Fifteen Trees. As a result, 75 trees were planted in rural Victoria. Thank you to Kuskopf, Greig, Cuthbertson, Simpson-Dwyer and Mortimer (who was actually on another stall herself) for being open to my venture and supporting this small, green business. The family who received most of your trees has written the letter below.   Dear Colleen, In early July 2011, we planted out 60 tubestock (donated by the supporters of Fifteen Trees) at ‘Clearwind’ in Glenhope – between Kyneton and Heathcote, Victoria. ‘Clearwind’ was badly burned on Black Saturday, so we have been replanting indigenous vegetation ever since.  The  Fifteen Trees planting was done on land next to our house dam where, in the post fire clean up, dumps of timber (burnt fence posts and fallen trees) were made.  Recently clearing away these dumps reached the top of the Jobs List, and we were left with two unsightly bare patches, crying out to be planted up with native vegetation. All of these plants will benefit the environment: providing nectar and shelter for insects and birds, fixing nitrogen in the soil, shading the dam and providing nesting sites for small birds that will help to keep the surrounding eucalypts healthy.  They will also filter rainwater that runs into the dam. The planting was done by us with the help of our grandsons, Sam and Thomas, aged 6 and 4 and Hyejin Kwon, a Wwoofer (Willing Worker on Organic Farms) staying with us from Korea. Clare and Win. While 60 trees went to Clear View, another 15 trees went over to Durham Lead (Ballarat area). Once again thank you to the festival goers whom I hope to see again at next year’s festival. Cheers – Colleen