Melbourne Climate Futures (MCF) connects and amplifies the depth and breadth of University of Melbourne research, creates a portal to share ideas and collaborate on real action, and empowers the next generation of climate activists. The team are committed to leading national, regional and global communities to a sustainable, safe, fair and equitable climate future.

Daintree, QLD | 100 trees | 2025

Daintree Life in conjunction with local community volunteers and school students planted the trees at Newell, QLD (Nulu Country). The site was previously overrun with weeds. By replacing these invasive plants with native forest, the land will once again provide habitat for the rich diversity of wildlife that calls the Daintree Rainforest home. The planting included a wide range of indigenous tree species, including figs, eucalypts, melaleucas, acacias, red cedar, brown silky oak, brown pine and golden penda.

Located in the Lower Daintree Rainforest of Tropical Far North Queensland, the site contains a waterway that feeds directly into the Great Barrier Reef. The revegetation area is part of a large farm that was historically cleared for cane and cattle farming; however, the land was low-lying and ultimately unsuitable for hooved animals. The landowners chose to return this section of the property to authentic rainforest, with permanent State Government protection now included on the title deeds, ensuring conservation in perpetuity.

We are eternally grateful to Fifteen Trees and their sponsors for supporting our revegetation work. Without this ongoing support, we cannot continue to do what we do – expanding habitat and improving the environment and supporting our unique local wildlife.

Connie Pinson | Partner and Founder | Daintree Life

Numerous bird species have been observed and taking advantage of the revegetation. These species include, but are not limited to: Yellow-bellied Sunbirds, Greater Egrets, Willie wagtails, Rainbow Bee-eaters, multiple species of Kingfishers and Masked Lapwings. Graceful tree frogs and Rocket frogs are regularly sighted within the planting areas. There is lots of evidence of Bandicoot diggings between trees and on the edges. A Water Python has been sighted in the revegetation area.  Numerous species of butterflies and dragonflies have been observed within the area. In the future as trees attain additional height and begin flowering and fruiting, the entire area will provide a valuable food resource for Spectacled Flying-foxes which are a federally listed endangered species.

Edgecombe, VIC | 225 trees | 2024

These trees were planted on the behalf of the MCF presenters;

Sally Capp AO, former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, is a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Sally Capp was re-elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne in October 2020 (having previously been elected in May 2018)  and is the first woman to be directly elected as Lord Mayor.

In 2023, Sally was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the King’s Birthday Honours for distinguished service to the people of Melbourne, to local government, to business, and to the community through various organisations. She was also named the McKinnon Emerging Political Leader of the Year in 2019.

Lisa Gibbs is a Professor of Public Health and Director of the Disaster, Climate and Adversity Unit in Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and Academic Lead for Community Resilience and Public Health in the Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety.

Catherine Brown is an Enterprise Professor in the Melbourne Law School. She was CEO of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation (LMCF) for 12 years until early 2024.

Kylie Porter. Group Head, Sustainability, SunRice Group

Sam Lowe. Assistant Secretary, A/g Branch Head Renewable Superpower Taskforce, DCCEEW

Tishiko King. Masigalgal x Badulag-gal woman, Caring for Country Grant Lead, Groundswell Giving.

Liam Mannix. A multi-award winning national science reporter for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.

On the behalf of 2 students who were the Green Impact Project Assistants for Melbourne Climate Futures this year, huge thanks for all their hard work and efforts. Magdalena Umbach and Senyue Liu

And on the behalf of Dr Lauren Nishimura and Assistant Professor Josephine Brown who helped judge the sapling funding applications.

Lauren Nishimura: Lecturer at Melbourne Law School. Her research focuses on climate change adaptation, international law, human rights, and migration.

Josephine Brown: Associate Professor in Paleoclimate Modelling at the University of Melbourne. Josephine Brown’s research interests include past and future tropical climate variability and change, with a focus on monsoons, El Nino-Southern Oscillation and tropical rainfall.

The trees were planted at Edgecombe in the Campaspe Shire, Taungurung Country (Northern VIC) by Campaspe Valley Landcare Group. The group comprises of members who have rural properties in a part of the state that’s been extensively and intensively cleared since the 1840s. Members are aiming to re-establish some tree cover using locally indigenous species. They are also work on revegetating public lands, such as roadsides that are currently devoid of, or have very few, trees.

Some of the species planted included; Silver Wattles, Lightwoods, Black Wattles, Blackwoods, Bulokes, Dropping Sheokes, River Bottlebrushes, River Red Gums, Yellow Gums, Grey Boxes, Messmates, Snow Gums, Red Boxes and Manna Gums.

Thank you to our sponsors. It would be a far more difficult job without your kind help, in fact it would be very restrictive to proceed at all without your help.

Graham Connell | Member | Campaspe Valley Landcare Group

Gardening Australia recently featured this group in a segment on the importance of biolinks between properties, reserves and waterways. In this 8 min segment, Graham speaks to Millie Ross from the ABC show.

If you would like to know more about sponsoring community tree planting projects and how we can assist you in becoming a more sustainable team, 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.