We wouldn’t get far without friendship. Someone to check in on us, someone to laugh with, cry with, someone to give us a hand when we need it. Here at Fifteen Trees we are humbled to have one hundred and two of the best friends anyone could wish for. The kind of friends who really step up, who are selfless, community minded, and serious about creating a better future together.

This year, 102 Friends of Fifteen Trees have purchased 60 trees each to reduce their carbon footprint. This means 6,120 trees have been planted around the country in 5 states (VIC, TAS, SA, NSW and QLD).

• 6,120 trees in the ground that weren’t there before.
• 6,120  trees that will provide habitat, food, and safety for native animals
• 6,120 trees stabilising soil and water tables.

Not only that, the positive ripple effect of purchasing and planting trees will go on for decades, centuries even.

As a group of famous peace lovers once said, we get by with a little help from our friends. It’s the collective action of many that will change the world. We are so proud to be linking arms with our wider community to take a stand against climate change and give something back to our earth.

In brief, the 6,120 trees were planted at:

• Campaspe Valley | VIC | 2,000 trees
• Mornington Peninsula  | VIC | 1,300 trees
• Westgate Park | VIC | 1,000 trees
• Myrtlewood | TAS| 1,000 trees
• Cassowary Coast | QLD | 500 trees
• Goolwa | SA | 300 trees|
• Condobolin | NSW | 100 trees

Site A | Campaspe Valley, VIC | 2,000 trees

The Campaspe Valley is located in the area between the lower reaches of the Coliban and Campaspe Rivers, leading to Lake Eppalock. The area includes the town of Redesdale and the Barfold district. And it is here that we allocated 2,000 trees to David Cheal and members from the Campaspe Landcare group.

Thanks to all supporters of Fifteen Trees, our Landcare group has been able to plan for our revegetation works for 2021. This year, we have concentrated mostly on regional roadsides and bushland blocks.

David Cheal | Communications Secretary | Campaspe Landcare

Some of the species at this site included; Lightwood, Blackwood, Wirilda, Golden Wattle, Hop-bush and the magnificent River Red Gums.

Site B | Morning Peninsula, VIC | 1,300 trees

Thank you to Friends of Fifteen Trees for your support for our community tree planting projects. We have had several local groups are rallying behind this project to provide habitat trees to our local population of koalas.

We have partnered with the Mornington Peninsula Shire and Parks VIC to include more landholders and so our original target area has now been extended. This is great news for the local wild koalas.

Dirk Jansen | President | Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation

With the help of our enviro-heroes Mornington Peninsula Koala Conversation, the 1,300 trees sponsored by Friends of Fifteen Trees are planted on the traditional lands of the Boon Wurrung (Bunurong) people of the Kulin Nation. Mornington Peninsula Landcare Network also assist with the grunt work; planting the trees and native bushes, which will protect the Peninsula’s koala population by restoring existing vegetation and connect remaining koala habitats.

Site C | Westgate Park, VIC | 1,000 trees

Westgate Biodiversity is a community-based not-for-profit organisation who looks after Westgate Park, which is situated right under the Westgate Bridge in Port Melbourne. This amazing group of volunteers is transforming Westgate Park into a natural, bush-like place by planting habitat species of trees and shrubs that were naturally found at the site before the European settlers descended. 

Westgate Biodiversity support enhancing and protecting the natural environment and its biodiversity in the Sandbelt region of Melbourne.

They also work to educate their members and the wider community on the importance of protecting and enhancing the natural environment, urban biodiversity, and healthy environments by growing and planting locally indigenous plant species and encouraging volunteering and community engagement with the natural environment.

Site D | Myrtlewood, TAS | 1,000 trees

We were thrilled to be awarded a Landcare and Fifteen Trees grant in 2020 to assist us to realise our revegetation dreams for part of our farm Myrtlewood, located in Cleveland in the Northern Midlands of Tasmania.

On the 13th August 2021, we travelled up to Liffey to collect our magnificent plants which had been beautifully propagated by Herbert and Sally Staubmann of Habitat Plants. We had had a site visit from Herbert many months prior where we explained our vision for a shelter-belt incorporating an area of salinity and the rehabilitation. Based on the site restrictions, Herbert recommended a range of endemic species to enhance biodiversity of the site.

The trees, shrubs and grasses were planted over a 2-month period as time and labour allowed. It was a great relief to have them all in the ground by late October, with a wet spring being to our advantage for planting conditions. 

Thank you to all supporters of Fifteen Trees for the opportunity to revegetate this land with native species.

Priscilla Richards | Coordinator | Landcare TAS

Site E | Cassowary Coast, QLD | 500 trees

Brettacorp inc. is a registered not-for- profit community association building forests in the Cassowary Coast region of Tropical North Queensland, Australia.

We were delighted to help out with one of their tree planting projects with 500 shrubs and trees. These trees will add habitat for endangered and threatened species such as the Southern Cassowary and Mahogany Glider.

Brettacorp Inc. are working on connecting and rebuilding remnant vegetation and thanks our Friends of Fifteen Trees for their generous support.

Site F | Goolwa, SA | 300 trees

With 8 volunteer attendees at each event, the Goolwa to Wellington LAP and Goolwa Coastcare Group held two 2 hour planting events in June and August 2021 for locals and group volunteers to plant 300 local coastal seedlings from the Alexandrina Community Nursery (funded by the 15 trees program) consisting of native grasses, sedges, rushes, trees and shrubs local to the area.

The seedlings were planted in well prepared holes in soil with good existing soil moisture content and have received significant rainfall following to provide adequate watering in. All seedlings were guarded with corflute tree guards.

The seedlings have been guarded with corflute tree guards with a hardwood stake and watered in. Lots of fun was had by attendees and we expect to see these seedlings experience a good survival rate in what has been an excellent planting season for the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Ben Simon | Coordinator | Goolwa Coastcare Group

Some of the key animal species that this future habitat may assist include; Hooded Plover, Brown Quail, Orange-bellied Parrot, Barn Owl and Painted Dragon.

Site G | Condoblin, NSW | 100 trees

Condobolin and Districts Landcare were lucky to receive 100 mixed native tubestock for planting in our region. A number of different sites were chosen for these plantings which comprised of both public land (Gum Bend Lake), and on private land in the area.

A local youth group helped to plant seedlings in the new bird habitat area of our recreational lake. This area has been created to give birds a safe area to rest, breed and forage for food. The plantings will stabilise the banks of the lake and create vital habitat for the birds and other wildlife.

The tubestock, once grown, will facilitate numerous benefits to our native wildlife such as bees, gliders, birds, insects and bugs, but there will also be many benefits seen in land productivity through soil stabilisation, wind and shelterbelts to surrounding land and livestock. The list goes on. All species planted were native to Australia, some being endemic to our region also.

Thank you to the Fifteen Trees community for supplying these seedlings to our community. We are ever so grateful and look forward to seeing them growing into strong, healthy plants.

Sarah Cranney | Local Landcare Coordinator | Condobolin & Districts Landcare

Some of the species planted included: Wyalong Wattle, Weeping Myall, Lemon-scented Bottlebrush, River Oak, Lemon scented Gum, Red Flowering Gum, River Redgum, Yellow Gum, Grey Box, Christmas Hakea and Honey Honey Myrtle.

Once again, a huge thank you to all our supporters via Friends of Fifteen Trees. Your assistance is invaluable. It is amazing just how much we can achieve when we collectively work together.

Writers: Colleen Filippa / Sarah Hart

Colleen is the Founder and Director of Fifteen Trees.

Sarah is an artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven work. Her aim is to delight, to reveal glimpses of everyday beauty and to celebrate flights of the ordinary. Sarah works across a range of media, with an abiding interest in pen and ink, mixed media and the human form. You can find Sarah here.