Some of our tree planting partners are quietly racking up whole forests. G.J. Gardner Homes is one of our strongest supporters, having planted just on 100,000 trees with us over the past 12 years. That impressive number comes as a result of G.J. Gardner planting 15 trees for every home it builds in Victoria.

To keep the local connection, all trees are planted near the offices managing the builds, between 200-900 trees for every district. Local Landcare groups work out the best trees for the job – usually indigenous natives – and source the seedlings. The seedlings themselves are often grown by local independent nurseries who have collected seed from the region by hand.

Rob McMaster and the team from G.J. Gardner Homes Ballarat are generous supporters of local community groups and their tree planting projects. This year, they have purchased 240 native plants trees (plus tree guards) for the Napoleon’s Enfield Landcare Group.

At Napoleon Enfield Landcare Group, they are focused on transforming a huge flood plain in the bend of the Yaramlok (or Yarrowee River) that was once ploughed up and then abandoned. The rabbits ate out most of the vegetation so that only feral animals such as foxes and cats and weeds lived here. Starting with weed control and fencing, the group have continued their restoration work this year with further plantings to bring back the biodiversity that once occupied the area. These new trees and shrubs will grow tall, despite and actually benefitting from floods, helping with reducing carbon emissions into the future. Over time, this area will be linked to the nearby forests and river plantings to give the environment a good chance to grow at its best, despite a changing climate.

It is our foremost aim to bring back biodiversity to the surrounds of the Yarrowee Creek, south of the city of Ballarat. Thank you to GJ Gardner Ballarat and Fifteen Trees for your support in our native restoration projects.

Jenny Ryle | Co-ordinator | Napoleons Enfield National Park

G.J. Gardner’s core business is building homes. Safe, secure places for families to grow and thrive for many years to come. We love that alongside this G.J. Gardner is planting forests, which is very much the same thing – safe, secure places for fauna and flora to grow and thrive for many years to come.

Thank you to Robert and the team for helping us support community groups such as Napoleons Enfield Landcare who protect and enhance our rural reserves.

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.