In such a stimulating, media-saturated world, it can be hard to know how to cut through the noise. Plakkit. are street smart media based in Melbourne whose affinity with the creative means their delivery of marketing messages goes beyond traditional marketing. Since 2001, Plakkit & Co. has serviced the music, arts and cultural industries using unique canvases such as paste-ups, activation, guerrilla marketing and megasites.

The company offers affordable advertising solutions and operates nationwide. With an impressive client list that boasts Arts Centre Melbourne, NGV, Sydney Opera House, Sony, Universal Music, Live Nation, TEG and Penguin Random House, Plakkit continues to go from strength to strength, evolving the street poster medium from guerrilla-style advertising to a more professional, accountable and legitimate format with council agreements and planning permits, whilst still maintaining its raw, urban edge.

This winter, Plakkit & Co in collaboration with Fifteen Trees have shown their support for the environment in contributing to the planting of 1,600 trees. One hundred and sixty (160) of the trees were planted by the Plakkit team at Westgate Park in August. These will add to the 500 already planted by Koala Clancy and 600 trees planted by Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation.

Site A | Westgate Park | 500 trees

Over the course of a mornings work, owner Andrew and 9 staff meet up at Westgate Park to plant out their trees. But first, they had to move a mountain of mulch to the site. Ninety minutes later, the mulch was in place and they could begin to plant out the trees with the assistance of Andrea, David, George and Bruce from Westgate Biodiversity. One hundred and sixty (160)  trees were planted on the day, the remaining trees (340) were planted by the volunteers in the following days.

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.

Bili Nursery and Westgate Biodiversity 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 Plakkit who ventured out truly helped this aim, with the planting of indigenous trees and shrubs.

Site B | Inverleigh, VIC | 500 trees

Native tree species included River-red gum, Yellow gum, Manna gum, Sweet Bursaria, Wirilda and Lightwood. All trees were sourced from local indigenous nursery at Western Plains Flora and planted by volunteers from the Koala Clancy Foundation  in the Brisbane Ranges (VIC).

The Wadawurrung are a recognised tribe (community) of this district, which consisted of some 25 clans that forms part of the Kulin Nation of Aboriginal people.

Volunteers from Koala Clancy at the Inverleigh site.

At Inverleigh, a small population of wild koalas are just hanging on. Many years ago all the woodland around them was cut down, isolating these koalas. Now modern farmers are keen to revegetate the streams, but they need our expert help. This project will restore an endangered ecosystem in a region that has lost 87% of its natural forest. This planting will effectively double the habitat for these koalas, giving them a lifeline.

Many thanks to the team Plakkit for your generous contribution.

Janine Duffy | President | Koala Clancy Foundation

This self-funded foundation is working with landowners and councils to provide connecting habitat corridors for their local wild koala populations. During the course of this planting season (April – September) they are aiming to plant close to 20,000 native trees. Five hundred trees from Plakkit goes a long way towards their goal.

Site C | Merricks, VIC | 600 trees

The Somers Koala Habitat Project is a fabulous project to support. With over 70% of landholders participating in this revegetation project it is also backed by Mornington Peninsula Shire, Parks Victoria and the Department of Defence. And now with sponsors such as Fifteen Trees and Plakkit, this revegetation project has grown by leaps and bounds.

The project is coordinated by the Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation (MPKC), a group dedicated to creating a koala wildlife corridor (connecting existing sections of koala habitat and food trees) on the Mornington Peninsula. This involves planting in the existing koala corridors, thereby encouraging koalas out of urban areas and away from the many threats they face.

To achieve our goals, we need funding to purchase the trees needed for the wildlife corridors. All money received goes directly towards bringing our project and goals to life. Thank you to supporters of Fifteen Trees for your assistance by purchasing trees on our behalf.

Dirk Jensan | Coordinator | MPKC

Here’s a few reasons why this project is so important:

• Recent research from Deakin University suggests that the koala population has been negatively impacted by the highly fragmented nature of habitat on the Mornington Peninsula.
• By providing a wildlife corridor it will allow animals including koalas to move safely, to reach vital food resources and help maintain viable populations.
• Without this, koala populations will inevitably continue to decline, become isolated and may face local extinction.

Some of the trees planted included; Drooping Sheoak, Coastal Banksia, Messmate, Swamp Gum, Coastal Manna Gum, Narrow-leafed Peppermint, Black Wattle, Blackwood, Scented and Swamp Paperbark and Silky Hakea. All native to the Mornington Peninsula. Why are native trees important? Check out our blog on this topic here.

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 B. 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.