When graduation day rolls around on 19 September 2024 for the young women of MLC School, they can be proud in the knowledge they have attributed to the planting of 135 trees in the Hunter Valley, as one generous family has organised the planting one tree for each girl graduating from the esteemed college.

Since 1886, MLC School has been providing an enriched education for their students. Their mission is “to educate and inspire young women to be fearless thinkers, with moral courage and compassion to be agents of change in their own lives and the lives of others”.

It’s a truly admirable thing when members of a school community opts to support our community groups who are caring for the native environment, and we thank them for their kind gift to the girls on their graduation.

We were fortunate to have a generous family from the School provide a gift of trees to recognise the graduating Class of 2024. This enduring gift is testimony to the growth of our students and the points to the many branches of life they are still to travel. We are incredibly grateful for this most precious gift. I know our students will reflect on the symbolism behind it and the responsibility for them to be environmentally concerned citizens.

Lisa Moloney | School Principal | MLC School

The trees (135) were planted at Morpeth Common in the Hunter Valley of NSW, to help improve the natural beauty and give access to the area to local residents. These trees will also create a green space to enhance the health of the existing ‘dry rainforest’ by increasing the biodiversity of the area with the new plantings as well as reduce evaporation, algae blooms and improve soils.

The area is bound by a stretch of lagoon and wetland on the northern side, and a gully on the southern side. The trees planted were a mixture of rainforest species specially chosen for the site, including wattles (Maidens, Silver), bottlebrushes, Casuarinas, Lomandras, Paperbarks, Tea-trees, Eucalyptus and Moreton Bay Figs.

Rainforest birds such as Satin bower birds, fig birds, Koels, Night Herons, Spoonbils and Channel billed cuckoos frequent the Common.

A huge thank you for your contribution which enabled us to plant these trees in The Common.

Stacy Mail | Coordinator | Lower Hunter Region Landcare Network

We appreciate the school community in choosing Fifteen Trees to set this example to the girls as they graduate. We wish them all, every success in their future endeavours.

Planting trees on behalf of the graduating Class of 2024 at MLC School is not only a celebration of their growth and achievements but also our commitment to nurturing the environment for the future generations. Congratulations to the class of 2024. As you continue to grow and serve our community, every tree planted will grow and protect our planet!

A proud family of the MLC school community

Writer – Lou Ridsdale

Lou a green thumb, Earth Lover, big-hearted nature freak, plus a savvy media and horticulture expert, who passionately believe that everyone can lead a more nourishing and sustainable life. Lou founded Food Is Free Inc., a unique grassroots food security platform specialising in food security education. You can find Lou here.