The crew from Michelin, one of Australia’s largest tyre manufacturers should be proud of themselves for their commitment to helping our planet. Working with the wonderful group at Westgate Biodiversity, they helped plant 500 native trees, shrubs and grasses on a small hillside at Westgate Park, VIC and had a lot of fun doing so.

Westgate Biodiversity includes Bili Nursery & Landcare Inc. and is a community-based not-for-profit organisation based at the foot of one of Melbourne’s most iconic and main transport arterials from the West to the city, Westgate Bridge. They not only grow and sell locally indigenous plants, but work passionately in transforming Westgate Park into a natural, bush-like place for people to enjoy, and habitat for amazing biodiversity. The team from Michelin truly helped this aim, with the planting of 500 indigenous trees and shrubs, which will grow tall and strong in the months and years to come.

Some of the species planted on the day included, Acacias (Heath, Golden, Silver, Black and Coastal), Banksias (Coastal and Silver), Sticky Hop Bushes, Correas (White, Smooth and Common), Leptosperumum (Prickly and Woolly Tea-trees), Cushion Bush, Pink Beard Heath and a variety of Daisy Bushes (Coast, Sticky, Snowy and Twiggy).

When you run a team of dedicated staff who all work day in, day out, side-by-side towards a common cause, it’s always an empowering and refreshing team-building exercise to do some corporate bonding together preferably offsite and in the great outdoors, to really galvanise a team’s purpose. The bonus of doing this with Fifteen Trees is that you also get to help protect our greatest asset – planet Earth! Plus, you learn new skills; how to plant and care for native trees!

Fifteen Trees have many affiliations with community and environmental groups who would love your assistance to get ‘trees in the ground’. Heading outside to plant trees is a wonderful way to give back to the community, enjoy the ‘great outdoors’ and get your team working together on a common project. Contact Colleen at <[email protected]> for more details.

Writer – Colleen 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.