G.J. Gardner Homes has been supporting our community tree planting projects since 2013, and in that time, we have planted over 75,000 trees across Victoria and Tasmania due to their generous support. That impressive number comes because G.J. Gardner plants 15 native trees for every home it builds in Tasmania and Victoria.

Kevin Micallef and his team from G.J. Gardner Homes Hume are generous supporters of local community groups, and their tree planting projects. This year Kevin and team purchased 555 native plants trees over multiple sites: Emu Bottom and Grow West sites in the Bacchus Marsh region, plus further planting projects in Melbourne Inner North and Melbourne North West areas.

G.J. Gardner prides itself on being a practical, hands-on family affair, and in past years staff have happily gone out with their local community to plant their trees themselves. 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 determine the best tree species for the site. The seedlings themselves are often grown by local independent nurseries who have collected seed from the region by hand (with the proper licensing, of course). The sites that have been planted have included nature reserves, parklands, roadsides, school grounds, riverbanks & rural properties.

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.

555 trees planted at 2 sites means the revegetation of corridors that truly will benefit from the great work of G.J. Gardner Hume and volunteers.

Site A: Emu Bottom

280 trees were planted at the site of Emu Bottom. Located in the Hume City, the quaintly named Emu Bottom is on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung. The Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung, which includes the Gunung-William-Balluk clan, are the traditional owners of this land. An historic homestead is on the site believed to be built c. 1836 and is oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria.  Fun fact: the area was named because of it’s low lying ground, a favourite of emus.

Site B: Grow West

In the ground went 275 native trees and shrubs to compliment existing plantings at Grow West (Bacchus Marsh region). These will not only sequester carbon, capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transforming it into biomass through photosynthesis, it will equally provide important food and homes for many species of animals.

The surplus trees (275), have been planted in the group planting at Bacchus Marsh, along with Melbourne Inner North, and Melbourne’s North West regions.

“Last year we were contacted by an organisation called 15 Trees who support companies that wish to plant trees for carbon offset. They offered to pay for 555 trees, which is somewhat in excess of 15, so we accepted eagerly. As you know we have had a succession of problems and been unable to plant. So we were delighted when Robert Hall from PPW CMA offered to pay the Wurundjeri Narrap team to do a planting. We heartily thank 15 Trees and Robert and are so happy with the job done by Narrap”. Christina, Emu Bottom

We are truly grateful to Kevin and the team at G.J. Gardner Homes Hume.

If you are also interested in how your business and Fifteen Trees could work together, contact Bianca at <[email protected]> and ask for a no obligation proposal or check out our COMPANY page for more info.

Writer

Lou Ridsdale is a big fan of words and has been our Comms Manager since 2019.

She is a big-minded green thumb, Earth Lover, big-hearted nature freak plus a savvy media and horticulture expert, who passionately believe that everyone is capable of leading a more nourishing and sustainable life. Her passion for education + communication being the most empowering tool for change is reflected in her setting up her own digital/comms agency Hey Hoe Let’s Grow Socials. She also founded Food Is Free Inc. a unique grassroots food security platform specialising in food security education. She fell in love with trees after reading The Magic Faraway Tree as a child.

You can find Lou here