November 21, 2023
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SÜK. Working for the environment.
TREES PLANTED
1,465
SÜK Workwear are working for their local community. They also have deep commitment to Paying The Rent via regular donations to WAR, along with a need to protect native bushland. With 1,465 trees and native bushes now steadily growing in rural Victoria, it is safe to say they are succeeding in this admirable mission.
The SÜK Workwear backstory is impressive. Spending her twenties on building sites, farms and long-haul ships, SÜK founder and creative director Mimosa Schmidt knows what it means to get her hands dirty. Often working in hyper masculine spaces, at times being the only woman on site, during these formative years she also learnt what it means to be watched on the job. Her femininity, in the context of hard labour, was still wrongly seen to imply weakness, incompetence, and inexperience.
And from that an idea spawned – to make workwear for all bodies. Function, sexuality, fluidity, integrity and fierceness combine in these garments, whose design champions feminine expression, rather than attempting to dismiss and disguise under the usual workwear norm.
Equally impressive is the company’s commitment to live by their ethics. This means SÜK’s fabric never includes chemicals harmful to your skin, nor does its production have any harmful ecological impact. In sum – SÜK’s fabric is human and earth-friendly.
And now they are helping us with our tree planting projects with regular purchases of native trees for our community revegetation projects.
2023 | Inverleigh, VIC | 800 Native Trees
Native tree species planted at this side included River-red gum, Yellow gum, Manna gum, Sweet Bursaria, Wirilda and Lightwood. All trees were sourced from local indigenous nursery at Western Plains Flora and planted by volunteers from the Koala Clancy Foundation in the Brisbane Ranges (VIC).
The Wadawurrung are a recognised tribe (community) of this district, which consisted of some 25 clans that forms part of the Kulin Nation of Aboriginal people.
At Inverleigh, VIC a small population of wild koalas are just hanging on. Many years ago all the woodland around them was cut down, isolating these koalas. Now modern landholders are keen to revegetate the streams, but they need our expert help. This project will restore an endangered ecosystem in a region that has lost 87% of its natural forest. This planting will effectively double the habitat for these koalas, giving them a lifeline.
Many thanks to the team at SÜK Workwear for your generous contribution.
Janine Duffy | President | Koala Clancy Foundation
The Koala Clancy Foundation is working with landowners and councils to provide connecting habitat corridors for their local wild koala populations. During the course of this planting season (April – September) they are aiming to plant close to 20,000 native trees. Eight hundred (800) trees from SÜK goes a long way towards their goal.
2023 | Bendigo, VIC | 160 Native Trees
The Northern Bendigo Landcare (NBL) held their annual National Tree Day event last month at the Huntly Streamside Reserve. They planted native species along the Bendigo Creek corridor. This corridor has been damaged in the past due to gold mining and grazing. This is the traditional land of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung Peoples of the Kulin Nation.
Forty-eight (48) people turned out to help plant the trees. A highlight was having students from nearby Epsom Primary School attend with their families. These students are part of the school’s Green Magpies group of sustainability leaders and were encouraged to attend to support community sustainability initiatives and gain valuable experience. They were extremely keen and enjoyed being involved in practical community action to complement their learning at school.
Thanks to Fifteen Trees and SÜK who donated the plants that we happily added to our community.
Nicole Howie | Secretary | Northern Bendigo Landcare
2023 | Yea, VIC | 345 Native Trees
The trees were planted by Yellow Creek Landcare Group (YCLG) at Yea, traditionally Wurundjeri and Taungurung land. The site is classified as a Valley Grassy Forest, with the dominant trees being Eucalyptus microcarpa (Grey Box), Eucalyptus melliodora (Yellow Box), Eucalyptus macrorhyncha (Red Stringybark), Eucalyptus goniocalyx (Long-leaved Box) and Eucalyptus polyanthmos (Red Box).
The Landcare group have planted these same indigenous species at the site in keeping with the original vegetation.
2022 | Hopetoun Park, VIC | 160 Native Trees
The trees and native understory now growing from Grow West’s recent planting day has contributed to the green wildlife corridor at Hopetoun Park, The park sits alongside the Werribee River. It is here that SÜK trees were planted. This region is home to its very own species of eucalyptus, the Werribee Blue Box tree. The fascinating thing about this tree is that it only occurs along the Werribee River and its tributaries. In 2011, the Werribee Blue-Box was officially recognised by the National Herbarium of Victoria. Classified as endangered under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, these magnificent trees can grow up to 12 metres.
The Grow West Community Planting Day was a wonderful success. With a beautiful location on the Werribee River in Hopetoun Park, and a glorious sunny day, over 160 wonderful volunteers planted more than 3,700 trees, shrubs and grasses. It is so fantastic to have community members, who care about the environment, come together to improve habitat and increase connectivity in the landscape. Days like this could not happen without the amazing support of organisations such as Fifteen Trees and their sponsors.
Animals that will benefit from this planting include, platypus, and numerous species of birds, frogs, reptiles, insects, possums, small mammals and macropods.
Lindy Macraild | Coordinator | Melbourne Water
Looking after our native environment is important on so many levels. And we thank SÜK Workwear for supporting those who work so hard to protect and restore our planet.
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
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Fifteen Trees helps individuals and businesses reduce their carbon footprint through sponsoring Australian community tree planting projects.
Fifteen Trees acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the lands where we work, live and learn.