Every now and then you come across someone who radiates enough energy to power a small town. Gus Balbontin is one such someone. Formerly Executive Director of Lonely Planet, Gus now travels around changing the world on his own terms through his innovation agency, Neu21. When he’s not inspiring the populace en masse, he hangs out at home in Victoria, taking many small steps to walk the talk of creating a resilient, adaptable future.

Gus is known for his rebellious thoughts. He is slightly unconventional, counter intuitive and has a sharp common sense. Always challenging, pushing the boundaries and curiously exploring. Gus loves helping others connect with their own rebellious thoughts – we all have them but over time some of us stop paying attention, we give up and do what the system tells us to do, not what makes sense.

We recently planted 100 native trees on the behalf of Gus at Sunshine Reserve on the Mornington Peninsula, VIC with the Sunshine Reserve Conservation Group. The reserve (which is on traditional Boonerwrung land), is home to a wide variety of native flora and fauna. It plays a crucial role in preserving the biodiversity of the Mornington Peninsula, providing habitat for many native species. It is also a critical canopy Bio-link adjoining Fairbairn Reserve, Mount Martha Park, Hearn Creek and Forest Drive. With key remnant areas, its conservation and habitat values are recognised as important reminders of original landscapes and how they once were.

Thank you Gus, for the additional funding for tree guards. These guards helps protect the new seedlings and gives them protection from grazers, in particular rabbits and kangaroos. Inside the plastic sleeves, a microclimate helps protect them 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.

Gus now has a personal tally of 400 trees! You can find all their trees by typing Gus Balbontin into the search box at Find My Trees. 

If you would like to know more about sponsoring community tree planting projects, 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.