October 28, 2024

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PVCC. Supporting our native environment.

Given that the curriculum in most school’s these days is aimed at environmental impacts, and climate solutions, it is wonderful to see schools taking an extra step to claim responsibility for its own carbon footprint.

TREES PLANTED

155

Plenty Valley Christian College have once again come to the assistance of our community tree planting projects by purchasing 80 native trees. Established in 1981, Plenty Valley Christian College is a nurturing Christ-centred learning community in Melbourne’s north eastern suburbs.

 

 

At PVCC, ‘students from Kinder to Year 12 can be courageous in their learning pursuits as they seek to understand themselves, others, God, and His world around them’. It is encouraging to see the College take this a step further with support for their native environment and local communities.

 

Pyalong, VIC | 80 trees | 2024

The Nulla Vale Landcare group, who planted the trees, has engaged in a program of regenerating an island in Mollison Creek, Pyalong. The island had become overgrown with blackberries, gorse and thistles to the extent that it was inaccessible. Having removed the weeds, including blackberries up to two metres high, the group embarked on a native revegetation program in order to restore the island to its native condition. Ongoing weeding will be undertaken until the native vegetation has reached a mature state that will naturally reduce and control the weed invasion.

 

Weeding before planting.

 

We would like to thank Fifteen Trees and their supporters for contributing to our effort to begin the process of healing this spectacular piece of land. The trees provided will help to protect the few old trees that remain. These trees are better preserved if they have an ecology of smaller supportive trees and bushes around them, along with some young replacement trees that will one day grow to a similar scale. A rich and diverse ecology around these old trees, helps bring back the wildlife and the insects that provide a far more protective environment.

We thank you for your interest and generosity.

James Legge | President | NV&PWLC

 

The creek and island is inhabited by a range of water birds including Ducks, Blue Cranes and water fowl. Many species of birds in Central Victoria inhabit the area such as Cockatoos, Crimson Rosellas, Corellas and Wrens.

 

After a day’s planting at Nulla Vale, VIC

 

Alexandra, VIC | 75 trees | 2018

We were delighted to hear that Lucille Warwick and Plenty Valley Christian College decided to run a carbon neutral art show by raising the funds needed to have 75 trees planted on their behalf.  We love events that have sustainably at their core. We organised the College’s 75 trees to be planted in the hills of Alexandra, Victoria.

 

tree planting
The hills of Alexandra

 

 

 

Thanks very much to Fifteen Trees for supplying the plants and to Plenty Valley Christian College for running a carbon neutral event which meant that we received trees for one of our planting projects.

Chris Cobern | Landcare Facilitator | Dhurringile Prison Landmate Team

 

 

 

 

Here are some tips to running a carbon neutral event:

  • Put someone in charge to ensure the small footprint theme is consistent and promote it as such.
  • Produce an environmental policy for your conferences and meetings.
  • On the registration website, offer attendees the option of buying a tree for planting by a local community group.
  • Advise speakers about your small footprint event.
  • Keep all participants informed about your small footprint event.
  • Use/promote businesses that have green policies. Ask companies (e.g. the venue) for their policies and if they don’t have one, go elsewhere but tell them why! This is very powerful way to make businesses ‘step up’.
  • Make it a ‘paper free’ event, or at the very least use double sided paper and recycled paper (best brands for 100% recycled paper include – Evolve, Vision and Fuji). Avoid Reflex who are using our native forests for their pulp supplies. Take the ‘ethic paper pledge‘ to help protect our native forests.
  • Encourage public transport by offering prizes, discounts, free glass of wine etc when they present their train/bus ticket. Give instructions as to which tram, bus or train to take.
  • Give promotional sustainable gifts that are made from local producers (with little/no packaging).
  • Distribute a low ecological impact lanyard. Use regular thread with a knot/bead linking both extremes.
  • Encourage recycling with simple systems.
  • Offer only vegetarian meals. It won’t kill anyone to go without meat for a day or so.
  • Don’t offer plastic water bottles. Have glasses and water jugs on hand. Ask the venue to adhere to this.
  • If you must use plastic name tags, collect them at the end of the conference to reuse the next year.
  • Don’t give out plastic straws! Ditch the straw. 

 

A big thank you to Plenty Valley Christian College for your support.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

RECENT TREE PLANTINGS

Victoria

100 TREES PLANTED

November 14, 2024
‘We are incredibly grateful to the sponsors for helping us create such a unique experience each year’. Northern Bendigo Landcare Network.
Victoria

125 TREES PLANTED

November 14, 2024
‘We support Fifteen Trees great cause of tree planting to contribute to improving our precious environment. Trees helps create and restore habitats for wildlife and every contribution to the cause helps improve the environment for future generations’. Proact Accounting.

250 TREES PLANTED

November 12, 2024
‘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’. Nicholson Construction.