We love it when businesses take us at our word. Take the Macneil Group, for example, which purchases 15 trees for every vehicle in its fleet. For those new to us, our name – Fifteen Trees – comes from a carbon-reduction calculation: the annual emissions from running a regular car can be offset by planting 15 trees.

It may sound like a lot of trees … and it is. Cars are significant polluters, and there’s no avoiding that fact. By choosing to link their fleet directly to tree planting, the Macneil Group shows a clear understanding that growth comes with environmental costs and a commitment to addressing them.

‘We look forward to continue working alongside Fifteen Trees to reduce our footprint and support the community’.

Paul McCuskey | Co-Owner |Macneil Group.

Eight enthusiastic volunteers gathered at Creswick for a community planting day, rolling up their sleeves to plant native trees and shrubs, erect protective guards, and spread wood-chip mulch to give the young plants the best start possible. Among the species planted were Sweet Bursaria, Tussock Grass, Bottle Brush, Broadleaf Peppermint, and Red Ironbark – species well suited to the local environment and valuable for restoring native habitat.

These new plantings will, over time, provide vital shelter and food sources for local wildlife, including possums, echidnas, magpies, falcons, kites, ravens, finches, honeyeaters, wrens, rosellas, cockatoos, and black sulphur-crested cockatoos. Together, these efforts will help strengthen biodiversity and contribute to the ongoing regeneration of the Creswick landscape.

On behalf of our Landcare group, we’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous support in subsidising native trees for our recent habitat restoration project.

Your contribution has made a real difference – these trees are now taking root on private land, helping to restore vital habitat for our local native wildlife. Thanks to your support, we’re not only growing trees, but also fostering biodiversity and a healthier landscape for generations to come.

It’s partnerships like this that truly bring community-driven conservation to life. We’re so grateful for your generosity, and we look forward to continuing to work together to protect and restore our natural environment.

David Unwin | President | Bald Hills Creswick Landcare group

Thank you to Paul and Jason for the additional funding for tree guards. These guards help protect the new seedlings and gives them protection from grazers, in particular rabbits and kangaroos. Inside the plastic sleeves, the microclimate created protects the seedlings 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.

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.