Margaret Mead had it right when she wrote about the power of the collective coming together to creating something wonderful! And here at Fifteen Trees we regularly see the power of the collective when we gather together trees from numerous small businesses and organisations.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead | Anthropologist | 1909-1978

Thank you to the organisations and companies who have sponsored the planting of 190 native trees at a beautiful revegetation planting project at Gariwerd/Grampians National Park, VIC. This generosity has been made more epic by the fact that they are small to medium enterprises (SME) or organisations. Being a small business ourselves, we know the challenges they face and thank them for their generosity.

Two (2) trees

• Shane Majoor from Major Tree Services

Three (3) trees

• Dorothy Krajewski from Direct Digital Websites.
• Scarlett Phillips from Bloomieaway florist in Adelaide.

Seven (7) trees

• Janet chambers from Pony Parties Melbourne.

Twenty (20) trees

• Emily Wagner from RMIT Library celebrating International Womens Day with panelists – Grace McQuilten, Torika Bolatagici, Sonia Adele and Amy Spiers.

Gariwerd/Grampians National Park, VIC | 190 trees

Some stories start with a single species and open up into something much bigger.

Friends of the Forgotten Woodlands Inc. (FOFW) is a not-for-profit group on a quiet but determined mission – to restore the keystone species that once defined the Victorian Volcanic Plains (VVP). Stretching from Melbourne all the way to Hamilton, this vast landscape was once covered in dense native woodland. European settlement changed all of that. Clearing came fast, leaving behind fragmented remnants (some separated by hundreds of kilometres) of what had once been a thriving, connected ecosystem.

FOFW has chosen to focus their restoration work on three species that defined this landscape: Silver Banksia, Drooping Sheoak and Sweet Bursaria. It’s careful, considered community tree planting, the kind that thinks not just about today, but about the woodland that might exist in fifty years time.

Their most recent planting took place at a beautiful site nestled at the southern end of Bryans Swamp, in the shadow of the Gariwerd/Grampians National Park. Eighteen people turned up on planting day, including one dedicated member who drove all the way from Melbourne – taking an RDO to make it happen!

This was an unusual planting day in the best possible way. Rather than a mix of species, the group planted just one – the Silver Banksia. But the thinking behind it was anything but simple. The seedlings were grown from seed collected across 15 different provinces of the Volcanic Plains, deliberately chosen to create a genetically diverse seed stock for future plantings. Some of those seeds came from drier provinces. A forward-thinking decision to ensure the trees that grow here can withstand a warmer, drier climate. It’s ecosystem restoration with one eye firmly on the future.

The Friends of Forgotten Woodlands Inc. are incredibly grateful for the generous donations to help us do what we love most. Being a Friends group, we apply for any grants that come our way, however anyone who has done this knows the time involved in filing out grant applications. To have such a significant donation made to us because people believe in what we do is very heartwarming. On behalf of all FOFW, thank you so much.

Aggie Stevenson |President | Friends of Forgotten Woodlands Inc.

The site itself sits in a largely cleared valley, with remnant River Red Gums in the wetter areas alongside Swamp Tea Trees. But the wildlife that moves through here tells a different story with Grey Kangaroos, Dunnarts, Wallabies, Growling Grass Frogs, Black Swans and Brolga all calling this corner of Victoria home. Every Silver Banksia planted here is another small piece of native habitat.

This is what it looks like to support local landcare groups doing the quiet, unglamorous, essential work of bringing back what was lost. One species. Fifteen provinces. Eighteen people. A handful of small companies and organisations and a landscape that is remembering what it used to be.

We also thank these companies and organisations for the additional funding for tree guards. These guards help protect the new seedlings and gives them protection from grazers, in particular rabbits and kangaroos. Inside the plastic sleeves, the microclimate created protects the seedlings from harsh UV, drifting sand, frost, and wind. Once the seedlings survive their first summer and get the opportunity to develop a strong taproot, their chances of survival skyrockets.

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.