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 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 small companies and organisations who have sponsored the planting of 200 native trees at a particularly lovely revegetation planting project at Axe Creek in Central Victoria (Dja Dja Wurrung Country). 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.

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• Bloomie Away, Adelaide, SA is a new start-up florist in Adelaide with a big heart for both people and the planet. Based in the city, Scarlett carefully selects fresh, beautiful flowers from the Adelaide flower market before delivering them to her customers. Alongside brightening people’s days with flowers, Scarlett is also committed to giving back to the environment – purchasing native trees to help restore habitat and reduce her business footprint.

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• In April 2025, Melbourne Data Analytics Platform (MDAP) at the University of Melbourne hosted an event to showcase the breadth of their research collaborations. Five of the collaborators co-presented with the MDAP team to provide a short overview of their research and the collaboration process from their unique perspective. One tree has been planted for each presenter.

Dr Anna Edwards: Map of the Month

Dr Hamish Clarke: Dynamic wildfire risk modelling and visualisation 

Dr Elise Kalokerinos: Everyday Measures of Temporal Emotions (EMOTE) database

Dr Wytamma Wirth: Geometric deep learning methods for bacterial taxonomic classification

Dr Hannah Bryson: EDGE Study: Understanding Victorian children’s kindergarten attendance

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• Thank you to Janet from Pony Parties Melbourne for your continued support.

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• Emily Wagner purchased these trees as a thank you for facilitators and panelists at a IWD event held at RMIT Library.
• WOMDAP – Widening Opportunity MDAP – focuses on the role of Academic Specialists within the university ecosystem. The initiative aims to promote inclusion and diversity through the MDAP community, and foster connections and opportunities across the University.This WOMDAP panel explored pathways to success in Academic Specialist roles, aiming to connect, acknowledge and empower the community while fostering an inclusive environment. Rachel Webster, Rachel Ramsdale, Elise Kalokerinos & Amanda Belton highlighted the importance of recognising and celebrating the unique contributions to innovative research discovery and impact. These trees have been planted on their behalf to thank them for their contribution.

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• Thompson Goode is not only creating beautiful custom timber furniture from his Bendigo workshop Goode Eco Design, but he is also ensuring that he is sourcing his materials from recycled timbers collected from the local district. Good by Name. Good by Nature.
• Ballarat Regional Beekeepers (BRB) know the importance of planting native trees and shrubs that will provide flowers (nectar and pollen) for the local population of bees.

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• Thank you to the Camperdown College students and wider school community who fundraised to make the purchase of these trees possible.

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• Thank you to Shane at Major Tree Services in Geelong, who regularly purchases native trees to replace those he needs to remove as part of his tree services. By doing so, Shane is not only caring for his clients’ needs but also giving back to the environment. We’re grateful for Shane’s ongoing commitment to making tree work sustainable and community-minded.

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• Performing Lines works with artists and companies to make thought-provoking and inspirational live performance. ‘From helping develop the first seeds of an idea right through to national and international touring, Performing Lines provide the support and advice to make big things happen’. We’re delighted that Performing Lines have extended this spirit of support to the environment too, with the purchase of 22 native trees. Just as they nurture creativity and talent, they are also nurturing and restoring the natural landscape.

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• Amy Stapleton is an artist who draws inspiration from the natural environment. Amy explores and sketches the waterways and bushland of the regions surrounding her home on the outskirts of Meanjin/Brisbane, Australia. You can find her, online at Amy Stapleton.Amy regularly purchases trees for us to plant on her behalf and we thank her for her kind contribution to this particular project.

The Axe Creek Project.

The planting site is on Dja Dja Wurrung land, known as Djandak (Country) with a Trust for Nature covenant to preserve it in perpetuity. The Campaspe River and Mosquito Creek running through across the property.

Due to long-term grazing the understory had been degraded with very little native grass, native shrubs or flowers remaining. The beautiful big old eucalypts are intact though, close to the river there 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 are registered ‘scar trees’.

The landholders long term project is to remove the sheep, progressively eradicate the weeds and introduced grasses and plant indigenous grasses and shrubs in their place. Kangaroo grass, wallaby grass and others, wattle varieties, Austral indigo, various native daisies, hop bush, hakea and weeping she-oaks are some of the species that have been reintroduced. The trees (and shrubs and grasses) were sourced from 2 indigenous nurseries in the district – A+B Trees and Goldfield Nursery.

Due to the soil conditions and the prevalence of kangaroos on the property there are considerable preparations that the planting group needs to undertake before planting to achieve a reasonable success rate. Firstly, weeds are removed, then the area to be revegetated is fenced, and finally holes are dug (30 to 40 cm ) which are filled with compost and then water. This method helps counter the heavy black clay. Then planting can begin.

We are blessed with a wide range of wildlife on the property, dominated by lots of kangaroos, there are also wallabies, wombats, echidnas, platypus, possums, gliders 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, Robin Redbreast and many others. We hope to see more species as the environment is restored.

Thanks to everyone who supported this project.

Bill Morrissey & Jo Fischer| Members | Axe Creek Landcare

Here’s an interesting fact – you don’t have to be a big business to make a big impact. You can be a small business, even a tiny one, and still make a significant positive contribution to the environment. We already know that small businesses are vital for local economies, that they keep money in the community and support local interests in myriad different ways. They also provide opportunities for entrepreneurs, create meaningful jobs, and on the whole give greater job satisfaction than large corporations. Small business is powerful! The key to making an environmental difference has nothing to do with size, and everything with taking the right action, at the right time, with the right partners.

Small business owners are masters of ingenuity when it comes to incorporating tree planting into their business practices. Never underestimate small business. When it comes to reducing carbon footprints, they are a climate force to be reckoned with!

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.