Stroud Homes Hobart, is building more than beautiful houses, they’re helping grow a healthier environment too. For every home they build, Stroud Homes Hobart proudly funds the planting of native trees (15 for every new build) right there in Tasmania. These trees will support local biodiversity, strengthen community revegetation efforts and ensure that every new home contributes to a greener future for the island they call home.

Stroud Homes are proud to be involved with Fifteen Trees, helping to sustain our environment where we can. We see all to often building works going on with neglect for the surroundings and taking from nature. Stroud Homes Hobart is dedicated to minimising the building footprint and giving back to nature where we can.

Mark Caberica | Director | Stroud Homes Hobart Office

Tunbridge, Midlands, TAS | 60 trees | 2026

The Tasmanian Midlands (Tyerrernotepanner Country) is one of Australia’s most significant biodiversity hotspots, a landscape of temperate native grasslands and grassy woodlands that have become increasingly rare across the country. For thousands of years, palawa/pakana people managed this country through seasonal movement and cultural burning. European settlement from the early 1800s transformed much of it into grazing land, making the Midlands one of Tasmania’s oldest agricultural regions. Today, the work of restoring what was lost is being taken up by a new generation of custodians, including farmers, conservationists, students and volunteers who believe that productive agriculture and biodiversity can genuinely work side by side.

Twenty-eight (28) people gathered for the planting day. A diverse group that included students from the Big Picture School, volunteers from Nipaluna Nursery, the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, Landcare Tasmania and the landholders themselves.

The species planted reflect the ecological diversity of the Midlands and they included; eucalypts, wattles, Dolly Bush, Hop Bush, Black Peppermint, Cabbage Gum, Hakea, Tea Tree and Bottlebrush. In a landscape characterised by native temperate grasslands dominated by Kangaroo Grass and Wallaby Grass, and grassy woodlands of White Gum, Black Gum and Black Peppermint, these plantings will help restore the layered habitat structure that local wildlife depends on.

Tree planting is about far more than restoring the landscape, it’s about bringing people together to care for the places we all value. Thank you for your generous support for the farmers, students, volunteers and conservation partners who are helping create healthier habitat for Tasmania’s unique wildlife while inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards.

Your contribution will leave a legacy that will grow for decades to come.

Nel Smit | President | Nipaluna Community Nursery

Tasmania is know for its wildlife. And the wildlife here is extraordinary. This is Tasmania, after all. Bennett’s wallabies and Tasmanian pademelons move through the property. Common wombats and echidnas are regular visitors. The Eastern Quoll (endangered and all but gone from mainland Australia) still survives in parts of Tasmania, including here. And the Tasmanian Devil, is still found across much of the island, including the Midlands. The new plantings will provide food, shelter and nesting sites for all of these animals, as well as for the woodland and grassland birds that depend on this ecosystem such as the Superb Fairy-wrens, Grey Fantails, Yellow-rumped Thornbills and Grey Shrike-thrushes.

The Tasmanian Midlands experiences one of the island’s driest climates, with cold winters and low annual rainfall. Shelterbelts and riparian plantings like those at Tunbridge are particularly important here. This is community tree planting at its most purposeful – restoring native habitat, supporting regenerative farming, educating the next generation and strengthening the connections between people and the land they share.

Dodges Ferry, TAS | 60 trees | 2025

We recently planted on behalf of Stroud, 60 native trees, shrubs and grasses at Dodges Ferry with students from the local primary school. The planting was organised under their Grow and Learn Program at the school. Approximately 130 students and staff, joined in with the planting, mulching and watering. The site is close to the beach and community walking track.

The area consists of coastal vegetation and the species planted (native grasses, blue gums, salt bush, wattles, tea trees, casuarinas and banksias) complemented this. Ralph Dodge, one of the original settlers in the area had a farm in this area and ferried people across the water to the other side of the Coal River mouth. Hence the name Dodges Ferry.

Thank you so much for supporting the students at Dodges Ferry in revegetating the environment around their school. Not only is this a unique and valued experience for them, but it also has the added environmental benefits which connects them to their immediate environment and gives them a sense of pride and connection. This is such a valuable program for them to have the privilege to take part in. This project would not be possible without your support. And the flow on effect is to the community of beach users and walkers of the community track.

Sonja Ralph | Grow and Learn Teacher | Dodges Ferry Primary School

The planting site itself is near an adjacent wetland area, and right next to the beach. The school is slowly returning pasture back to bush and native habitat for wetland animals. It is also reducing erosion, beautifying the area and making habitat for native wildlife such as Blue tongue lizards, bandicoots, a plethora of native birds, wetland insects and native frogs.

We also thank the team at Stroud 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.

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.