In a country dominated by the grocery shopping duopoly that shall not be named, IGA stands proud as an independent franchise responsive to the needs of its local communities. There are over 1400 IGA stores across Australia, and every single one is different.

They also listen to their communities when it comes to giving back too, though the IGA Ballarat (Northway, Pleasant Park, Midvale) and Beaufort Community Rewards Program. This is a program that is unique to this local store. Funds are raised on an ongoing basis and IGA puts them right back where they’re needed – into clubs, community groups, charities, and even into the environment.

Grenville, VIC | 20 trees | 2025

Emily and Jason Hutchins have spent the past decade quietly transforming their corner of Wadawurrung Country at The Pines on the Yarrowee River in Grenville, VIC. What was once an old pine plantation is slowly returning to a thriving landscape of native bushland, thanks to countless weekends spent clearing invasive weeds, nurturing young seedlings, and restoring the riverbanks and creek lines. This year, their efforts gained an extra boost through support from their local IGA allowing them to continue the steady revegetation of their property.

Over several months, the planting became a true family project. Emily and Jason were joined by their three children, Logan, Nell, and Ella, whose small hands helped plant native trees such as Blackwood, Yellow Gum, Blue Gum, White Ironbark and a variety of Bottlebrushes seedlings into the soil. Every tree is part of a bigger story – creating habitat, strengthening biodiversity, and forming natural wildlife corridors that connect the landscape back together.

Thank you for providing these trees for our family to plant at Grenville. We are deeply grateful for your support, which not only helps us restore our property but also strengthens local biodiversity and contributes to a greener, healthier community for generations to come.

Emily and Jason Hutchins | Grenville, VIC

Already, the property is showing life. Platypus slip through the cool bends of the Yarrowee, echidnas waddle through the undergrowth, and kangaroos and wallabies graze along the open edges. Overhead, magpies and kookaburras keep watch, while black cockatoos and bright parrots flash through the canopy. Even the river tells its own story, home to eels and spiny freshwater crayfish that thrive in its clean, shaded waters.

Meredith, VIC | 40 trees | 2025

This year’s trees (40) were planted by the Banks family along with the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority at Mt Mercer. Wadawurrung Country. They were a mixture of Blackwoods, Gumtrees, Wattles, Sheoaks and River Red Gums. Over time, these trees will provide valuable vegetation for the native animals living in the area, improving habitats and promoting biodiversity.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Fifteen Trees initiative. The planting of these trees will be cherished by our family. We are proud to have created new habitats for the native animals in our area. From all of us, thank you for everything.

Denis Banks | Member | Corangamite Catchment Management Authority

The area is home to wildlife such as Echidnas, Parrots, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Magpies, Kookaburras and the iconic Black Cockatoos.

Axe Creek, VIC | 40 trees | 2024

The planting site is 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 running through across the property.

Due to long-term grazing the understory had been degraded with very little native grass, native shrubs or flowers remaining. 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’.

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. The trees (and shrubs and grasses) were sourced from 2 indigenous nurseries in the district – A+B Trees and Goldfield Nursery.

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

Campaspe Valley, VIC | 30 trees | 2023

The trees were planted by the Campaspe Valley Landcare Group in a district that stretches north from Kyneton to Lake Eppalock and incorporates traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and the Taungurung Aboriginal groups.

This whole landscape has been cleared since the 1840s. It was never densely forested, instead supporting open woodland (scattered trees). But it has been heavily grazed since the earliest European settlers and is still grazed. These trees will one day provide roosting & nesting sites for the local bird fauna such as Grey Fantails and Spotted Pardalotes.

Thank you to those people who are prepared to donate, even tho they do not see the direct results of their contributions.  It reminds me of one of my favourite sayings – Perfect goodness is to do without fuss (or anonymously) what one would be capable of doing in front of the whole world, Francois de la Rochefoucauld (1613-1680).

David Cheal | President | Campaspe Valley Landcare

Some of the tree species planted included; Wattles (Silver, Lightwood, Hedge, Golden), Eucalyptus (White Box, River Red Gum, Yellow Gum, Grey Box, Swamp Gum, Manna Gum, Candlebark), Bulokes and Drooping Sheoaks.

Ballarat District, VIC | 120 trees | 2022

This year, Fifteen Trees were very pleased to hear that we had received the funds to plant 120 native trees in the  district of Ballarat. The trees were planted over the course of the winter at 2 sites – Ross Creek and Napoleons. In the interests of biodiversity the plants were a mixture of trees, shrubs and ground-covers.

Ballarat and district is home to many birds of prey such as the Powerful Owl (top L), the Black Kite (top R), the Nankeen Kestrel (bottom L) and the Grey Goshawk (bottom R). All these predatory birds will benefit from the recent planting at these sites. These native trees, shrubs and grasses will attract insects and small mammals that will become a food source for these mighty birds.

Elaine, VIC | 75 trees | 2021

This year, we planted 75 trees on the behalf of IGA Ballarat and Beaufort . They were a mixture of Tree Violets, Messmate Stringybarks, Peppermints, Snow Gum, Candlebark and Manna Gums and were planted over the course of a few weeks by Matt, Lulu and the Education Team at Narmbool, Elaine.

Owned and operated by Sovereign Hill, Narmbool exemplifies sustainable farming within a diverse and fragile ecosystem.  Narmbool protects bushland and Williamson’s Creek as habitat for native wildlife and flora. These trees are part of a huge revegetation project that Fifteen Trees and supporters has been contributing to at Narmbool since 2010.

Meredith, VIC | 200 trees | 2020

IGA Ballarat and Beaufort has partnered with Fifteen Trees to plant 200 trees in the Ballarat region this season. All the trees are native Australian species. They will provide habitat, stabilise soil, improve biodiversity and fight against weed invasions. The trees were planted by Carolyn Barrie and Meredith Landcare in Cargerie, VIC. Meredith is revegetating farm land back into indigenous native land. These trees will help control erosion, capture carbon in the soil and provide native wildlife with habitat.

Thanks to IGA and Fifteen Trees, I have planted 200 manna gums and red gums throughout the property. They will look fantastic in years to come. There are already a variety of birds and flora due to the lower story, these trees will add upper the storey levels and give biodiversity a real lift. Flycatchers were in my face as I was planting.

Carolyn Barrie | Member | Meredith Landcare

In fact, those trees will become an integral part of the region’s natural landscape, much like IGA is an integral part of our built landscape. Where we spend our money matters. With every dollar we put through the till, we make a statement about the kind of world we want to live in. We think independence, community spirit, and environmental awareness are pretty important, and we’re glad your local IGA does too.

Writer – Sarah Hart.

Sarah is an artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven creative work. Her aim is to delight, to reveal glimpses of everyday beauty, and to celebrate flights of the ordinary. Sarah works across a range of media, with an abiding interest in pen and ink, mixed media and the human form. You can find Sarah here.