Goode Eco Designs has always been about creating beautiful things from the natural world and now they’re giving back to it, one tree at a time. For every handcrafted piece of furniture sold, this local timber studio is planting a native tree right in their own district, helping restore the very landscapes that inspire their work.

Born from a small side project in 2018 and grown through skill, passion, and loyal customers, Goode Eco Designs now crafts bespoke timber furniture and cabinetry that’s as unique as it is sustainable. Their tree-planting commitment adds a meaningful new layer to their story of care, craftsmanship, and community.

Bendigo, VIC | 47 trees | 2025

Years ago, when Bendigo Landcare facilitator Nicole and her family purchased their property, one of their first goals was to rehabilitate the existing dam. With sheep removed from the paddock, the sedges and reeds began to return naturally, and the owners followed up with additional plantings of shrubs and trees. Today, that once-tired dam has become a thriving haven for wildlife regularly visited by ducks, spoonbills, grebes, cormorants, ibis and more.

A second dam was later constructed to provide additional water storage and stock access. Unlike the first, this dam had long remained bare and exposed, its banks lacking structure and vegetation. After hosting a webinar on the role of farm dams as biodiversity hotspots, Nicole was inspired to reimagine what this dam could become: a well-vegetated wetland that would support wildlife while still accommodating farm operations.

Support from Goode Eco Designs has made the first stage of this rehabilitation possible. Through donated native grasses, shrubs and trees, the previously bare banks are now being stabilised and replanted. These new plantings will help hold the soil together, reduce sediment flowing into the water, improve water quality, and create shade and shelter for wildlife. Over time, they’ll also provide food sources, nesting opportunities and safe refuges for native animals that depend on healthy freshwater systems.

This project represents an important step toward improving the ecological health of the entire property. Sincere thanks go to all those who contributed plants, time and support helping turn a simple farm dam into a flourishing pocket of biodiversity.

Nicole Howie | Facilitator | Northern Bendigo Landcare Group

Axe Creek, VIC | 15 trees | 2024

The planting site was on Dja Dja Wurrung land, known as Djandak (Country) with a Trust for Nature covenant to preserve it in perpetuity. The Campaspe River and Mosquito Creek run through across the property.

Due to long-term grazing the understory had been degraded with very little native grass, native shrubs or flowers remain. The beautiful big old eucalypts are intact though, close to the river there are the iconic River Red Gums and higher up away from the river it is mainly Grey Box, many of which are large and very old with numerous hollows. Three are registered ‘scar trees’.

Tree planting day where 70 volunteers assisted in the planting.

The landholders long term project is to remove the sheep, progressively eradicate the weeds and introduced grasses and plant indigenous grasses and shrubs in their place. Kangaroo grass, wallaby grass and others, wattle varieties, Austral indigo, various native daisies, hop bush, hakea and weeping she-oaks are some of the species that have been reintroduced.

We are blessed with a wide range of wildlife on the property, dominated by lots of kangaroos, there are also wallabies, wombats, echidnas, platypus, possums, gliders a wonderful array of birds and reptiles.

Some of the more interesting examples are the Tawney Frogmouth, Powerful owl, Azure Kingfisher, Spotted Pardalote, Tree Creeper, Robin Redbreast and many others. We hope to see more species as the environment is restored.

Thanks to everyone who supported this project.

Bill Morrissey & Jo Fischer| Members | Axe Creek Landcare

Due to the soil conditions and the prevalence of kangaroos on the property there are considerable preparations that the planting group needed to undertake before planting to achieve a good success rate.

Preparations at this site included:

• Removing weeds,
• fencing the area to be revegetated,
• digging holes (30 to 40 cm ),
• filling those holes with compost and then water.

Small business owners are masters of ingenuity when it comes to incorporating tree planting into their business practices. Never underestimate small business. When it comes to reducing carbon footprints, they are a climate force to be reckoned with!

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 B. 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.