Mel Lechte is an escapee from corporate industry. Disillusioned by the focus on profit and quick turnarounds over people and planet, she founded Organic Crew. Organic Crew is a sustainable, ethical, environmentally responsible clothing brand based in Melbourne. With a mantra of Be Informed, Be Involved and make a Difference, it is not surprising that Mel was keen to work with Fifteen Trees. Organic Crew currently donates sixty trees per quarter.
Mel herself has been planting trees since she was a teenager and has passed her environmental ethics on to her own children. Her son recently won the Landcare award at his school. She believes, as we do at Fifteen Trees, that change starts with individuals. Small efforts by many hands create communities of improvement, who work toward systemic and lasting change on a broader scale.
It’s fitting that one of the first projects Organic Crew sponsored (with 60 trees) was a very specific, site-oriented planting at Staughton Vale (Vic). The Brisbane Ranges Landcare Group is in the process of planting protective barriers in the form of trees, around an ancient River red-gum, the largest known specimen in the City of Greater Geelong. The new trees will protect the elder from root compaction by carelessly parked vehicles and restore the wider common area to a more natural, fauna-friendly state. This planting is the first of several more planned for the site.
Protecting the elder tree!
So many of the small businesses we work with are highly motivated to build a better, more sustainable world. Organic Crew is no exception. Its commitment to ethically sourced labour, fair trade principles and organically grown raw materials is reflected in its founder’s personal ethics. And now, those same values are helping protect our ancient trees and green spaces for future generations to enjoy.
Article by Sarah Hart.
Sarah is an emerging self-taught artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven creative work. Her aim is to delight, to reveal glimpses of everyday beauty, and to celebrate flights of the ordinary. Sarah works across a range of media, with an abiding interest in pen and ink, mixed media and the human form. Facebook – Sarah Hart Creative.
If you are interested in sponsoring one of our tree planting projects please contact Colleen on 0400 040 650 or [email protected]
‘Sometimes there are really simple things everyone can do to reduce their carbon footprint. When staying at a hotel, choosing to skip the room cleaning and having a tree planted instead, is one of those things’. Hugo from Hotels for Trees.
‘We’re thrilled to team up with Fifteen Trees in this crucial effort. Koalas are an iconic Australian species, and with increasing threats to their natural environment, it’s never been more important to ensure they have access to suitable habitats.Planting these trees is just the beginning of a broader initiative to safeguard their future’. Ballarat Wildlife Park
According to Sustainability Victoria, the average Australian lifestyle produces 15,000kg of carbon per year. If that sounds like a lot, it is! Over its lifetime, a tree can collect and store 268kg. This means, we each need to plant 58 trees per year to bring our individual carbon production down to zero. A little tricky for most of us to do in our own backyards, and this is where ‘A Subscription for the Planet’ comes in.
Mel herself has been planting trees since she was a teenager and has passed her environmental ethics on to her own children. Her son recently won the Landcare award at his school. She believes, as we do at Fifteen Trees, that change starts with individuals. Small efforts by many hands create communities of improvement, who work toward systemic and lasting change on a broader scale.
It’s fitting that one of the first projects Organic Crew sponsored (with 60 trees) was a very specific, site-oriented planting at Staughton Vale (Vic). The Brisbane Ranges Landcare Group is in the process of planting protective barriers in the form of trees, around an ancient River red-gum, the largest known specimen in the City of Greater Geelong. The new trees will protect the elder from root compaction by carelessly parked vehicles and restore the wider common area to a more natural, fauna-friendly state. This planting is the first of several more planned for the site.
