Di and Brad Stranbrook from G.J. Gardner Homes Mildura are generous supporters of local community groups, and their tree planting projects. This year Di, Brad and their team purchased 675 native trees for the local region Since 2013, they have helped with the planting of over 8,000 native trees.

Out in Victoria’s far northwest, where the Murray River floodplains meet the dry mallee scrub, the Millewa/Carwarp Landcare Group has been restoring native habitat across one of the state’s most remote and ecologically significant landscapes.

This season, 675 native trees and shrubs were planted across five sites – Cullulleraine within the Johansen Reserve, and at Werrimull, Meringur, Carwarp and Walpeup. Each species was chosen by the local Landcare group in consultation with independent regional nurseries, whose staff have collected seed from the surrounding landscape. These plants they are genuinely local, grown from seed in the district to give them the very best chance of surviving.

The planting day at Cullulleraine was a particular highlight. Thirty school children and six staff members joined council representatives and Landcare volunteers for the main event, making it as much a community occasion as an environmental one. The relationship between the local school and the Landcare group has been strengthened through this kind of involvement, opening the door to future partnership projects and helping inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

The species planted reflect the diversity and resilience of the mallee landscape – eucalypts, wattles, saltbush, hakeas, native apricot and myoporum ground-covers, all well suited to the dry, exposed conditions of this part of Victoria. At Cullulleraine, the site sits on a hill that is prone to wind and water erosion, a problem that native deep-rooted plants are uniquely equipped to address. As the plants grow, they will stabilise the soil, slow runoff and reduce the amount of silt and sediment washing into the small creeks that run through the area. Resulting in cleaner waterways, healthier soil and a more resilient landscape.

The Millewa/Carwarp Landcare Group would like to thank G.J. Gardner Homes as the sponsor, the Fifteen Trees for facilitating the trees, Riverland Native Plants, Mildura Rural City Council, Werrimull P-12 School and our Landcare volunteers. Together, we have created a positive environmental impact by planting many trees to provide shelter, wind breaks and erosion mitigation.

Annette Lambert | Facilitator | Millewa/Carwarp Landcare Group.

The wildlife here is a reminder of just how special this corner of Victoria is. Regent Parrots (featured image from Cornell Lab) move through the mallee – one of Australia’s most striking birds, and one that depends on the kind of connected native habitat these plantings are helping to restore. Corellas, wrens, black swans, pelicans and whistling kites all live in and around the area, each one a beneficiary of the shelter, food and nesting sites that native trees provide.

This is community tree planting at its most purposeful with local knowledge, local seed, local schools and local volunteers working together to help restore and maintain this beautiful uniquely Australian landscape.

Writer: Colleen B. Filippa

With a background in Environmental Science (Melbourne Uni), Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees. In 2009, after 20 years in 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 the Millewa/Carwarp Landcare Group.