Todd and Anna McClelland and team understand the importance of team building and looking after our native environment, so when it came to organising trees to be planted in the district in which they work – it was an easy choice to contact Fifteen Trees.
We have been planting trees on the behalf of McClellands since 2020 and over the course of just 2 years, we have planted well over 1,000 trees for this Ballarat company.
McClellands Consulting Engineers provide soil testing, structural engineering, civil engineering and project consulting services throughout Central and Western Victoria.
This year we planted out 625 trees on 2 sites on the behalf of McClellands. Covid restrictions meant that we couldn’t get a tree planting day for the employees, so instead we planted on their behalf.
Tamara Wighton and Linda Wright from the Garibaldi Landcare Group planted the trees over the course of a few months. The planting took longer than usual as the planting group had to go out in small numbers to keep Covid safe. The site for these trees was an old pine plantation in among native bushland. The site is now being revegetated into a nature reserve. This will be an on-going project, with members of the Landcare Group going out periodically to pull up any new pine seedlings that venture above the ground. Rare native wildflowers, orchids and grasses are establishing well naturally, but there are no shrubs or trees. The property is between two Crown Land sections which are native bushland. There many animal that live and migrate through the property including Koalas, Echidnas, various lizards and frogs.
The aim is to replace the overstorey at the site, which was once a pine plantation.
The trees planted at Narmbool, Elaine, VIC were a mixture of Tree Violets, Messmate Stringybarks, Peppermints, Snow Gum, Candlebark and Manna Gums. They were planted over the course of a few weeks by Matt, Lulu (pictured below) 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 since 2010.
Todd McClelland and the team know the importance of team building and looking after our native environment, so when it came to planning a day out for staff it was a ‘no brainer’ to combine the 2 and organise a tree planting day for staff and family. The McClellands’ Big Day Out took place on Friday July 5th, and somehow in the middle of some truly wet and cold days, they scored a mild sunny day right in the middle of winter.
The McClellands team and Fifteen Trees travelled to Narmbool, Elaine (Vic) to carry out the planting. Over the course of a couple of hours we planted ~ 400 native grasses and trees. The area in which we planted was not far from the historic Narmbool homestead. In years to come, these native plants will provide habitat for the native birds, insects, reptiles, marsupials and mammals. A healthy self-sustaining ecosystem. Matt and Damon (alas not Matt Damon!) from Narmbool did a mighty job to prepare the site, organise the plants, lay out the gear and then show us how to properly plant a tree. The boys will maintain the planting site over the coming summer and in 18 month’s time will remove the protective sleeves.
Thank you to Todd for your generous contribution to this important re-vegetation work. Thank you also to Breonie and Jess for contacting Fifteen Trees and for getting this day organised from their end.
You just know when a company cares for the planet and cares about being sustainable, they also must care about their team and their customers.
If you would like Fifteen Trees to organise a team building day with your company, contact Colleen at <[email protected]> or on 0400 040 659. In the meantime, you can find out more information here.
Restoring Australian ecosystems. Supporting communities with their revegetation projects for a greener and healthier planet.
Fifteen Trees acknowledges Indigenous Australians as the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work, live and play.
We recognise that Indigenous Australians have cared for and lived in harmony with this land for millennia, and their knowledge and wisdom of the land endures.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and stand in solidarity as Indigenous Australians seek a fairer and more sustainable future for the land and its people.