With sleeves rolled up and a vast amount of determination in their walk, 24 students from Loreto and St Patrick’s College emerged onsite at Ballarat’s Victoria Park on Friday 28 May with one mission on their minds…to plant 350 trees, native grasses and shrubs.

The planting was a culmination of a project birthed by both schools, 15 Trees and local Ballarat food security education advocates Food Is Free Inc, with funding by the City Of Ballarat’s Community Impact grant. Originally scheduled to occur in 2020, COVID-19 meant we had to wait over year for it to be realised.

In somewhat challenging cold & rainy Ballarat weather, the students took to the task at hand with absolute team spirit and vigour, and the fact that they all actually personally volunteered to attend, made the project so much more impactful. These eager and environmentally conscious students chatted as they planted about climate change issues, the importance of green spaces in towns, and related topics during the two hours they were onsite. Many were recently inspired to attend after taking part in the local Schools Strike action held only days before. The very same School Strike we pledged to plant a tree for each attendee (300 trees were the result!)

One of the best outcomes on the day, aside for the future habitat these bright students created, was the discussions bubbling up on future environmental collaborations of the two schools and Fifteen Trees/Food Is Free Inc.

The tree planting site is on a pocket of land cradling a recreation reserve and industrial land, which is an unusual mix of land for 15 Trees to plant on. This coupled with the fact it is in our very own city so we could be part of the planting, plus we’ll be able to observe the growth, made this particular project even more meaningful.

Local Councillor Belinda Coates attended to help out, and we also received lovely coverage from the Ballarat Courier newspaper.

Our thanks to City Of Ballarat for the grant and sending John, Luke and Steve to help us with the ground prep and planting, Food Is Free Inc. for auspicing the grant and joining the dots. And of course, the actual heroes of the day – the students themselves, and their teachers for organising them.

Another project proving there’s nothing quite like the energy whipped up from community projects and people power!

Drone footage on the day here: https://vimeo.com/575732204

If you are also interested in how your business and Fifteen Trees could work together, contact Belinda at <[email protected]> and ask for a proposal that will fit in with your business model.

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. She fell in love with trees after reading The Magic Faraway Tree as a child.

You can find Lou here

If you are also interested in how your business and Fifteen Trees could work together, contact Belinda at <[email protected]> and ask for a proposal that will fit in with your business model.