Essence Food for the Soul is where ‘beautiful meals and feel good food is made’. Located on the Morning Peninsula, Essence combine passion for all things delicious to create meals that are truly nourishment for the soul.

And now they are providing nourishment for the planet. In partnership with Fifteen Trees, Mel and the team purchase 145 trees every year to support local community restoration projects with Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation. 

2024 / Somers / 145 trees

On World Environment Day (June 5th), a group of volunteers, as well as Fifteen Trees attended a tree planting day at Somers on the Mornington Peninsula to plant 600 native trees, of which 145 trees were generously sponsored by Essence Food for the Soul.

Some of the trees planted included; Drooping Sheoak, Coastal Banksia, Messmate, Swamp Gum, Coastal Manna Gum, Narrow-leafed Peppermint, Black Wattle, Blackwood, Scented and Swamp Paperbark and Silky Hakea. By planting a wide variety of locally native plant species at our revegetation projects, the aim is to restore habitats that would have existed prior to land clearing. This means that the native flora is able to regenerate, and the local wildlife can return to the trees to use them as food sources and habitat.

2023 / Balnarring / 145 trees

The koala habitat project is throughout Balnarring and Merricks on the Mornington Peninsula, VIC the ancestral land of the Boon Wurrung Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation. Balnarring is Aboriginal meaning ‘camp in open places’.

Some sites in these areas have Merricks and/or Coolart Creek running through them which is significant koala habitat. It is therefore extremely important that assistance is given to maintain and increase natural vegetation on this land.

Some of the trees planted included local species of Gum such as Coastal Manna, Swamp, Narrow-leafed Peppermint and Ribbon. Other species planted included Black wattle, Blackwood and Sheoaks (Black, Swamp and Drooping).  All plants have been selected with the relevant Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) profiles in mind.

The Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation wholeheartedly thanks you for purchasing trees on behalf of our koala conservation project.  With your donations, we planted over 20,000 trees this year.

 Thank you for being a part of this project which would not be possible without your generous contribution. We are now planning our third year of a multi year project and plan to continue upping the ante.

Dirk Jansen | President | Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation

2021 / Somers / 145 trees

This year, Mel, Jim and the team have come to the aid of the planet by purchasing 145 trees for the Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation. One hundred trees on the behalf of their customers and another 45 trees for their 3 vehicles (15 X 3) so they are running carbon neutral for the next 12 months.

The Somers Koala Habitat Project (Coolart to Cerberus Biolink) has been going well with a fantastic response from landholders with over  70% of them confirming their intent to participate in this revegetation project. Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation (MPKC) have partnered with the Mornington Peninsula Shire, Parks Victoria and the Department of Defence to include more landholders and with sponsors such as Essence. Food for the Soul, this revegetation project has grown by leaps and bounds.

Here’s a few reasons this project is so important:

• Recent research from Deakin University suggests that the koala population has been negatively impacted by the highly fragmented nature of habitat on the Mornington Peninsula,
• By providing a wildlife corridor biolink it will allow animals including koalas to move safely, to reach vital food resources and help maintain viable populations,
• Without this, koala populations will inevitably continue to decline, become isolated and may face local extinction.

We are so thrilled that our tree purchases have been planted locally and are helping the koala population here on the Mornington Peninsula. Thank you Fifteen Trees!!

Melanie Houston | Owner | Essence. Food for the Soul

2019 / Warrnambool / 75 trees

This year, Essence. Food for the Soul have planted one tree for each of their 60 stockists as a thank you for choosing Essence. Plus another 15 trees to ensure their work vehicle is running carbon neutral for the next 12 months. All up 75 trees for the planet.

The trees headed to a property near Warrnambool, VIC. The site is an ex-pine plantation, and the revegetation project is designed to alleviate the harm a monoculture tree crop can do to the soil, and to the surrounding biodiversity in general. Hopkins Falls Landcare Group hopes the planting, which contains many Manna Gums, will help build resilience in local fauna. The local koala population for example, indigenous to the nearby Framlingham forest, desperately needs more habitat corridors in the surrounding landscape. Diverse tree and shrub corridor plantings enable a wide range of species to broaden their horizons, giving them some protection against food scarcity and disease, habitat threats like fire or flood, and allow new family groups to emerge and thrive.

Corporate social responsibility can take many forms but for us … tree planting hits a number of targets! Community groups benefit as they receive free trees for their projects. The environment benefits as trees mean habitat for the native insects, birds, reptiles and mammals. And companies benefit too. ‘Through CSR programs, companies can help society while promoting their own brands. Corporate social responsibility can boost morale and can help both employees and employers feel more connected with the world around them’ (www.investopedia.com).

Thank you Mel for contacting us at Fifteen Trees and for purchasing  trees for our favourite community planting projects.

Sláinte – Colleen

Colleen Filippa is the Founder and Director of Fifteen Trees. This year, Fifteen Trees celebrates 10 years. To be part of the movement of companies looking to make a tangible contribution to our community groups and our native environment, contact Colleen at <[email protected]> or on 0400 040 659.