Margaret Mead had it right when she wrote about the power of the collective! And here at Fifteen Trees we have seen the power of the collective with this particular planting.

Over the past few months, nine companies and organisations collectively purchased 285 trees for one of our favourite sites – Narmbool, Elaine, VIC.

The trees were a mixture of Tree Violets, Messmate Stringybarks, Peppermints, Snow Gum, Candlebark and Manna Gums and were planted over the course of a few weeks by Matt, Lulu and the Education Team at Narmbool, Elaine.

Shoutout to the following companies and organisations who purchased 15 trees:

Compass Financial Group

Designer Blinds to You

GroundUp Coffee

Clips That Sell

and Melbourne University to cover gifts for 3 events.

1. Researcher Connect Tech-travaganza Panel Discussion 

On September 6^th, the University of Melbourne hosted a panel discussion as part of the Researcher Connect Tech-travaganza week of digital tools and skills training. The panel, ‘what I wish I’d known when I started my PhD’ opened the week and it was a lively discussion presenting different perspectives, experiences, and approaches to graduate researcher life.

As a thank you to the panelists and moderator, the Researcher Connect organising committee have planted trees in the name of:

• Dr Helena Lynn, Research Data Management Program, PCI
• Catherine Roberts, PhD Candidate, Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
• Dr Laura Henderson, Culture and Communication
• A/Prof Kate Howell, Academic Lead for Graduate Research in the Researcher Development Unit
• Prof Richard Eckard, Dairy Industry, Agriculture and Food (Moderator)

2. Visualise Your Thesis Local Competition 

The 2021 University of Melbourne Visualise Your Thesis Local competition was, as always, a tightly contested affair. Graduate Researchers from across the university produced stella videos that showcased their research in the form of a 60 second video. These can be viewed at: http://go.unimelb.edu.au/8eoi

And, of course, a competition would not be complete without the judges. As a thank you to the judges, the VYT Local Team have planted trees in the name of-

• Dr. Jen Martin, Leader, Science Communication Teaching Program
• Rose Hiscock, Director Museums and Collections
• Dr. Lauren Rosewarn, Director, Chair & Associate Professor in Social & Political Sciences

3. Visualise Your Thesis Competition

 The Visualise Your Thesis 2021 Competition saw 25 entrants from six different countries, all presenting their graduate research projects in engaging 60 second videos. Congratulations to everyone who reached the international round of Visualise Your Thesis 2021. Entrants and winners can be viewed at: https://visualiseyourthesis.figshare.com/2021 

And, of course, a competition would not be complete without the judges. As a thank you to the judges, the Visualise Your Thesis Team have planted trees in the name of- 

·        Dr Tamika Heiden, Principal, Research Impact Academy 

·        Al Cossar, Artistic Director, Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) 

·        Professor Deb Verhoeven, Canada 150 Research Chair in Gender and Cultural Informatics, University of Alberta Edmonton 

Thank you to both Ballarat Regional Beekeepers and Backyard Beekeeping Ballarat who purchased 30 and 45 trees respectively on the behalf of the bee keepers in the Ballarat District.

Formosa Gardens, thank you for your kind purchase of 60 native trees.

And last but not least, thank you to Ryans IGA Ballarat for 75 trees. This year Fifteen Trees featured in their August IGA Community Rewards. 

Owned and operated by Sovereign Hill, Narmbool exemplifies sustainable farming within a diverse and fragile ecosystem.  Narmbool protects bushland and Williamson’s Creek as habitat for native wildlife and flora. These trees are part of a huge revegetation project that Fifteen Trees and supporters has been contributing to since 2010.

We’d love to help your small business run with a smaller footprint too. Contact Colleen <[email protected]> for more information.

Writer – Colleen Filippa. Founder and Director of Fifteen Trees, Colleen has a Bachelor of Environmental Science and has been working in the field of sustainability, education and the environment for 25 years.