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. We have been planting native trees on the behalf of  Nicholson Construction since 2019 and to date have now planted 1,775 trees for the construction company.

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

This year, working with Geelong Landcare, we organised the planting of Nicholson’s 150 native trees on Wadawurrung Country along Tea Tree Creek at Barrabool. This area was once dominated by an Eucalypt and Drooping Sheoak woodlands with a grassy understory. However, over the years, the area has been largely cleared and taken over by introduced pasture grasses. The aim of the planting group is to restore the site to past biomes with the planting of  species such as indigenous Manna Gums, Swamp Gums, narrow-leaf Peppermints, Drooping Sheoaks and Black Wattle.

Enhancing what native vegetation still remains and providing critically important animal habitat will see an improvement in both the local fauna species as well as those species (e.g. kangaroos, echidnas) using this area as a corridor or stepping stones between native reserves. There is a large diversity of fauna in the area, with animals such as Growling Grass Frogs, Platypus and Rakali.

Geelong Landcare Network was so thrilled to be given plants for this project. We thank all our supporters. Our aim is to restore and enhance our natural environment and your contribution has directly contributed to this aim. Thank you once again.

Bronwyn Merritt | Facilitator | Geelong Landcare Network.

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.