In case you hadn’t noticed, Christmas seems to be approaching. There is an air of well-intentioned panic in the air, as swarms of people race around to purchase material goods for their loved ones, hoping that this year, the candlestick/photoframe/novelty mug won’t end up in an op-shop three weeks later. Gifting can be a tricky business, both on a personal and an ethical level.

But there is a way around it. We have been so filled with gladness this year to see many people buying trees as gifts for friends, family members and colleagues. So far, 308 trees, with more coming in as the day draws nearer. No panic involved, no rushing around, no looming landfill problem. Simply a loving thought, a promise of life, and a practical gesture of solidarity with our struggling planet.

And with that in mind, fifteen (15) trees have been planted on the behalf of:

• Bakery Hill Kindergarten teachers, from your biggest fans – the kids!
• Josh from Tegan Burn. Josh had said ‘buy me trees instead of presents’,
• Selene Dudley Bateman from Melita Slieker-Bateman,
• Brenda & Carly Savy from Stella Savy,
• Richard & Jill Savy from Stella Savy,
• Bette Goode from David Goode,
• Secret recipient from Emily Paige Duggen,
• Secret recipient from Stacey Jones,
• Vivienne Maynard-Horner from Jane Randell and the Foreign Correspondent’s Association,
• Secret recipient from Peter Lambert,
• Secret recipient from Louise Le Feuvre,
• Dianne Lee from Andre Bonnice (2 X 15 trees),
• Sarah Exner from Andre Bonnice,
• Lincoln Turner & Penny Tangey from Marian Turner,
• Froebel Parkville Kinder Room from Marian Turner,
• Ed & Irene from Lucy Bracey,
• Family members from Fifteen Trees (2 X 15),
• ‘In loving memory of Riley and Charlotte Lange‘ from your friends and colleagues at G.J. Gardner Homes Essendon Fields.

The trees purchased (308) have been planted, and gift recipients will be able to see them when they receive a card. They’ve gone in the ground on Phillip Island VIC, on a site owned by the Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School at Cowes. They will provide habitat, wind breaks, and increased biodiversity and soil integrity for decades to come. They will also help to educate the school children who planted them, and those who will enjoy them in the future, about environmental issues. The more of our young people who grow up with a connection to the land that supports them, the better.

The Phillip Island Landcare group has helped facilitate a planting activity at the Our Lady Star of the Sea School, in Cowes on Saturday August 3^rd, 2019.  54 people attended the planting day helping to plant and protect 500 plants around the southern perimeter of the school grounds.  These plants will contribute significantly to the environmental improvement of the area and connect to existing areas of vegetation.  Having the school community to take part in this event helps the students feel ownership of their school landscape.

Geoff Trease | Bass Coast Landcare

We are all reeling from the early, savage start to Australia’s fire season. We are all anxious about what it means for our future. So many of us feel the need to do something, to start somewhere, somehow. This is one small way to start. Every act of gifting and every dollar we spend says something. It tells a story about what we want our world to look like, as well as how we love.

Article by Sarah Hart

Sarah is an artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven creative 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.