The Nicholson family name has been associated with quality construction in the Victorian region for over 120 years and shows no sign of disappearing any time soon.

The signature is everywhere, from the Mars Stadium in Ballarat, to Deakin University accommodation in Warrnambool, to significant hospital upgrades in Kerang and Castlemaine. With a raft of major heritage restorations under their belt as well, there is no major project Nicholson can’t tackle.

Nicholson Construction’s longevity is testament to their ability to build trust, deliver the goods, and invest in the region. Their impressive portfolio isn’t a matter of chance. It exists because its people create and nurture genuine relationships with their community and can show that they’re here for the long haul.

 At Nicholson Construction we like to give back to the community that we live, work and build in. Environmentally, planting trees in conjunction with Fifteen Trees is a great way for us to do this.

Stephen Allen | Director | Nicholson Construction

We have been planting native trees for Nicholson Construction since 2019 and to date have now planted 1,525 trees on their behalf. This year’s trees (250) were planted at Sunnybank Farm, Burrumbeet, VIC (land of the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung people) with assistance from Year 10 students from Ballarat Clarendon College. This site has been specifically designed so that insects and birds (such as Wedge-tailed eagle, Black kites, Black swans, Black and white cockatoos, magpies and ravens, Square-tailed Kite, Tawny Frogmouth and Black Falcon) can safely travel between paddocks, encouraging increased activity and diversity.

Some of the species planted included: Black and Silver Wattle, Drooping Sheoak, River Bottlebrush, Hop Bush, Yellow Box, Yellow Hakea and Wooly Teatree, and were sourced from Neagnar Nursery in Bendigo. The trees planted were a continuation from previous years planting to create a wildlife corridor between small remnant reserves.

We are super grateful to those who purchased these trees on our behalf. These trees have established well and are going to provide many years of shelter and feed to native wildlife. Each year we are able to plant more trees than planned due to the generous sponsors of Fifteen trees.

Jasmine Walton | Manager | Sunnybank Farm

Nicholson also sponsored 250 tree guards for their seedlings, a vital part of ensuring the best possible growing conditions. By sponsoring trees (and kicking in for guards) Nicholson is not only reducing its business impact on the environment, but also enabling regional Landcare Groups to plan and complete vital land management projects.

We need someone to sponsor the trees, someone to grow them, someone else to facilitate the planting, a crew of passionate planters to get them into the ground, and a strong sense of a shared future to make it all happen. This is what connection looks like in practice, and why we value our ongoing partnerships with businesses like Nicholson Construction so highly.

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 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.