Since 2014, the team from G.J. Gardner Homes East Gippsland have been supporting our tree planting projects by purchasing 15 trees for every new build. Over that time, they have generously purchased 5,550 native trees and shrubs for local revegetation projects. Over a decade of support!

Michael Ellett is a generous supporter of local community groups, and their tree planting projects. This year, his office purchased 375 native trees for revegetation projects in the Gippsland district of Victoria.

The local Landcare group determine the best location and species for the site. The seedlings themselves are grown by local independent nurseries who often collect seed from the region by hand. In this case, the trees were sourced from Wildseed Nursery Gippsland. Tambo Bluff Landcare Coastcare Inc. planted out the trees in an area adjacent to Dolphine Lagoon, on Tambo Bluff at Metung, VIC in the months of June and July.

Following recent ecological surveys conducted on this location, it was recommended to plant quantities of understory varieties along with the larger canopy trees, to entice more native fauna to inhabit the area. The plants were a mixture of banksias, melaleucas, Black Sheoaks, Tree Violets, Roundleaf Pigfaces, Rosemary Grevilleas and Lomandras.

The area is home to our unique Australian wildlife such as echidnas, kangaroos, magpies, Eastern Yellow Robin Common Bronzewing, Superb Fairy Wren, Eastern Whipbird, White-browed Scrub-wren, Laughing Kookaburra, Bush Rat, Common Brush-tailed Possum and Bare-nosed Wombat.

Tambo Bluff Landcare Coastcare Inc. would like to thank G. J. Gardner Homes, Bairnsdale for the ongoing funding provided for revegetation and restoration of the environs surrounding Dolphin Lagoon on Tambo Bluff, Metung. This wetland is part of the Gippsland Lakes nominated under the RAMSAR Convention and is therefore of international significance. The current and future plantings will be of great benefit to the community and the region’s biodiversity.

Glenda Maloney | President | Tambo Bluff Landcare Coastcare Inc.

G.J. Gardner’s core business is building homes. Safe, secure places for families to grow and thrive. 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 Michael for your continued sponsorship of our revegetation projects by purchasing trees for local community projects. Thank you also for the additional funding for tree guards. These guards help protect the new seedlings and gives them protection from grazers, in particular rabbits and kangaroos. Inside the plastic sleeves, the microclimate created protects the seedlings from harsh UV, drifting sand, frost, and wind. Once the seedlings survive their first summer and get the opportunity to develop a strong taproot, their chances of survival skyrockets.

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]>.

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.