Essential Flavours does just what it implies – it makes flavours! Using a delightful combination of science and art they can make any flavour you like and provide it to you in liquid or powder form, from classic chocolate, through spices, and any fruit you care to mention. And what’s more, they don’t do flavouring in a small way – Essential Flavours products are distributed right across the Asia-Pacific region.

As well as tickling tastebuds from Stawell to Singapore and beyond, Essential Flavours is planting trees. Since August 2020, they have partnered with Fifteen Trees to commit to purchasing 250 trees every month for community tree planting projects. And their tree tally has grown, we have now planted almost 15,000 trees across Victoria on their behalf.

We recently planted 1,767  native trees at Western Port, VIC thanks to the support from Essential Flavours. This is traditional Bunurong Land. Working with Western Port Biosphere Foundation (WPBF) and a team of volunteers, the trees were planted over the course of the winter/spring months. The Foundation aims at achieving sustainable development goals in the UNESCO listed, Biosphere Reserve which encompasses both the Mornington Peninsula and the Western Port coastline. 

The project by Western Port Biosphere Foundation is divided into four key components;

• Native population surveys and research
• Revegetation
• Outreach
• Education and stakeholder liaison. 

Each of these elements plays a vital role in achieving WPBF’s mission to enhance the genetic diversity of koalas in the Biosphere Reserve. They are also focused on creating more and safer dispersal routes for all wildlife. This is being accomplished through a comprehensive habitat restoration program, designed to enrich and reconnect habitats across both private and public lands. 

The trees consisted of a mixture of Manna Gums, Swamp Gums, Peppermints, Wattles, She-Oaks, Dogwood, Melaleuca and Lomandra, as well as a variety of smaller shrubs.

We would like to thank Essential Flavours for the funding we received for a massive 1,767 plants. The money enables us to reach out to our network and community to distribute important habitat to support the restoration and protection of the Western Port Biosphere Reserve’s natural ecology.

From schools to landowners wanting to create wildlife corridors to connect remnant vegetation, or to restore the health of their bushland, dams, and waterways, the plants we can provide go a long way to helping to repair degraded land across the Reserve. Many thanks for supporting the work that we do.

Lucy Kyriacou | Project Manager | Western Port Biosphere Foundation

Throughout Western Port, WPBF are conducting tree planting, school visits, and koala surveys. The revegetation efforts primarily take place during the cooler, wetter months, while surveys are conducted in the spring and summer when koalas are most active. 

Since partnering with us, Essential Flavours have a relentless dedication to tree planting projects to create habitat, add biodiversity and all the other benefits that come with environmental care. We thank them for their generous support.

If you would like to know more about sponsoring community tree planting projects and how we can assist you in becoming a more sustainable business, please contact Colleen at [email protected] and check out our Company page.

Writer: Colleen Filippa

With a background in Environmental Science, Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees. In 2009, after 20 years in primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions, Colleen left the classroom to start the company. Fifteen Trees is a social enterprise assisting individuals and companies to reduce their carbon footprint by supporting community groups such as Landcare, schools and environmental networks.