Based in Melbourne’s Southeast and servicing Bayside Melbourne and the Peninsula, SEMMbuild have purchased 315 trees for community land restoration projects across 3 Victorian sites; Axe Creek, The Grampians and Nulla Vale.

Led by Director Damien Semmler, SEMMbuild are proud to enter their Green Partnership with Fifteen Trees and have committed to planting 15 trees for every new home. Just another way the team at SEMM Build hope to make a positive contribution to the environment.

SEMMbuild are run by a family-owned, licensed domestic builder, who specialise in period home renovations, extensions, and new builds. They pride themselves on their quality work, and keen eye for design detail.

SEMMbuild is proud to be working with Fifteen Trees to reduce our carbon footprint. We are passionate about making a positive contribution to a sustainable future. As a commitment to our environment, we aim to plant 15 trees for every new project we take on. We are proud to make this commitment on behalf of our valued clients.

Damien Semmler | Director | Semmbuild

2023 | Axe Creek (VIC) | 105 trees

The trees were planted at Axe Creek on property Dja Dja Wurrung land, known as djandak. The site has a Trust for Nature covenant on it, to preserve it in perpetuity. The Campaspe River and Mosquito Creek run through the site.

Due to long-term grazing, the understory had been destroyed with very little native grass, native shrubs or flowers remaining. The beautiful big old eucalypts are intact though. Close to the river are the iconic River Red Gums and higher up, away from the river, it is mainly Grey Box, many of which are large and very old with numerous hollows. Three of these trees are registered scar trees.

A variety of plant species is vital to a healthy ecosystem.

The project, in simple terms, has been to remove the sheep, progressively eradicate the weeds and introduced grasses and plant indigenous grasses and shrubs in their place. Kangaroo grass, wallaby grass, wattle varieties, Austral indigo, various native daisies, hop bush, hakea and weeping she-oaks are some of the species that have been planted at this site.

The property is blessed with a wide range of wildlife, such as;  kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, echidnas, platypus, possums, a wonderful array of birds and reptiles. Some of the more interesting examples are the Tawney Frogmouth, Powerful owl, Azure Kingfisher, Spotted Pardalote, Tree Creeper and Robin Redbreast.

In early September, we began planting the trees that we were supplied to us from sponsors of Fifteen Trees. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this wonderful assistance we have received.

Bill & Jo Morrissey | Members | Axe Creek Landcare

2022 May | Nulla Vale (VIC) | 105 trees

The trees were planted as part of a revegetation project at a site that was burnt out in 2005. Some of the larger trees still standing include Grey Box, Iron Bark, Red Gum and Yellow Box. Nulla Vale Landcare members, Belinda and Gerard Ryan made it a priority to plant these species of trees to help return the area to its original vegetation type. This is vitally important for the native wildlife who rely on these particular species of tree. In the interests of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, the Ryans also planted understory plants such as banksia, she-oak and tee trees.

It is encouraging to see organisations such as Fifteen Trees working with individuals and landcare groups to plant trees and make our planet a better place now and into the future. Many thanks to those who give to Fifteen Trees. Your support it is very much appreciated.

Gerard Ryan | Member | Nulla Vale Landcare Group

2022  October | The Grampians (VIC) | 105 trees

The first one hundred and five trees were a mix of purposefully selected plants to compliment the birdlife, insects, and other creatures who call The Grampians their home. The trees were also selected to survive the cold winters and dry summers the mountainous terrain experiences. They will grow to varying heights (tall and understory) to ensure a variety of habitats for the local wildlife.

The trees will add to the amazingly diverse landscape consisting of gorge environs, steep rocky walls famous for rock-climbing, deep valleys, and undulating hills. They will provide homes and fodder for many species including the extensive bird life found there. Given it is a famous area for bushwalking, you’ll often find many avid bird watchers (twitchers) hiding out on the trails, binoculars in hand and taking in the immense bird song. Grampians birdlife is vast and the many winged wonders you may come across include parrots (Galah, Crimson Rosella, Musk Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet and Blue-winged Parrot), and cockatoos (Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Long-Billed Corella, Little Corella, Yellow-Tailed Black-Cockatoo, even the endangered Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo).

All these birds need different trees to survive and we are thankful for the expertise of the Buloke and Northern Grampians Landcare Network (BNGLN) in their support in helping to plant these trees. We recently interviewed Andrew Borg, coordinator of BNGLN. You can read it here.

Thank you to Damien and the team from Semmbuild for your generous contribution to our Victorian tree planting projects.

If you are also interested in how your business and Fifteen Trees could work together, contact Colleen at <[email protected]> and ask for a proposal or check out our COMPANY page for more info.

Writer: Lou Ridsdale.

Lou is a big fan of words and has been our Comms Manager since 2019. She is a big-minded green thumb, Earth Lover, big-hearted nature freak plus a savvy media and horticulture expert, who passionately believe that everyone can lead a more nourishing and sustainable life. Her passion for education + communication being the most empowering tool for change is reflected as her role as Founder of Food Is Free Inc. a unique grassroots food security platform specialising in food security education. She fell in love with trees after reading The Magic Faraway Tree as a child. You can find Lou here