David James and his team from G.J Gardner Yarra Ranges are generous supporters of local community groups, and their tree planting projects. This year, the team purchased another 300 native shrubs and trees for a revegetaion project in Lalor, VIC.

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.

Steels Creek, Yarra Valley, VIC | 300 trees | 2024

The David and sons from G.J Gardner and members of local landcare groups had a terrific planting day at Steels Creek on Sunday July 28^th to mark National Tree Day and importantly, to continue the Dam Restoration program that is being run through the Northern Yarra Landcare Network.

This year’s planting focused on a project  at Steels Creek Road. It involved about 20 people including David James and his two sons Hamish and Flynn. Despite the wintery weather, the team managed to get the 300 tube stocks into the ground and avoided being caught by the hail and rain showers. After the planting was completed, an electric fence was used to protect the plants from stock.

The planting was the first step in a broader whole farm habitat program that has been designed with the help of Birdlife Australia and local Landcare facilitator, Rob Fallon. The project includes:

Stage 1: Dam restoration

• Tree planting to enhance biodiversity,
• Permanent fencing to include two dams and the natural flow between the dams and
• Additional tree planting.

Stage 2: Habitat stepping stones

• Create multiple habitat “stepping stones” between the property to link Steels Creek bush area with bushland attached to Kinglake National Park, and
• Additional tree planting.

Stage 3: Increase revegetation areas along Steels Creek

• Erect new fencing to increase the bush reserve around the creek, and
• Additional tree planting.

We would like to thank everyone who helped with the planting day especially Donna from Fifteen Trees, David and his sons from G.J Gardner Yarra Ranges, Rob Fallon from Landcare and of course our friends and family who participated in the planting.

Andrew Gutherie | Facilitator |Northern Yarra Landcare Network.

Edgars Creek, Lalor, VIC | 300 trees | 2023

The trees for this project were purchased from VINC (Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Co-Op) and consisted of a mixture of Prickly Moses, Hedge Wattle, Kangaroo Apple, Sweet Bursaria plus a variety of local wattles. The species selected for planting are intended to provide forage and shelter for bird and reptile life.  The planting group are also aiming to put up more nest boxes this spring to entice native birds back into the area.

Yarra Glen, VIC | 225 trees | 2022

David’s trees were planted by the Dixons Creek Landcare Group at the Yarra Glen Primary School at Yarra Glen. The trees were a mixture of indigenous poas, rushes, sedges along with Blackwoods and Sheoaks.

Big thank you for the support at Yarra Glen Primary School. We managed to get 225 plants in the ground, and it also was an opportunity to talk to the students in Grade 5 and 6 about the science of plants, and the many benefits of our planting activity.

With the funding from G.J. Gardner Yarra Ranges, our environment and community is richer and greener.

John Birse | President | Dixons Creek Landcare Group

And a huge thank you from us here at Fifteen Trees. David, you are making a difference! Not only to the local environment, but to the children who have been able to go out with their teachers and members of the Dixon Creek Landcare Group to learn about why caring for our country is important.

Yea, VIC | 180 trees | 2021

With the help of volunteers from the local ANZ Bank and Yea Landcare members, we planted indigenous plants (kindly provided by supporters of Fifteen Trees) into an area that has been fenced off from stock by the landowner. This revegetation site will provide a protected habitat for wildlife.

The morning started out in thick fog, but the sun broke through eventually and it was a great day for everyone involved.

The Upper Goulburn Landcare Network are very grateful for the trees and will be keeping an eye out for the native woodland birds that they hope will be enticed to frequent the area.

Chris Cobern | Landcare Facilitator & Project Officer | Upper Goulburn Landcare Network

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.