There’s nothing lovelier than love…unless it’s thoughtful, sustainable, earth-focused love. When Verity and Josh planned their wedding, it wasn’t all about photo ops and canapes. They wanted to make sure their big celebration gave something back, so they decided to plant 100 trees with Fifteen Trees to mark the occasion.

The couple gave numerous reasons why planting trees for their wedding was important to them. They wanted to offset the impact of guests who will travel to ceremony; provide a commemorative symbol that speaks to their bond; and help make the landscape a greener place for the enjoyment of all. Importantly though, Verity and Josh are future-focused. They want their love to be part of building a stronger and better world. They feel the pandemic has highlighted how precious and uncertain life is and strengthened the need for us all to take better care of our planet.

We wanted to plant these 100 trees to represent each guest and vendor in attendance. We hope these trees live on for many years to come – to remind us, and our family and friends, of this day and our union.

Verity and Josh

 

It’s unlikely the birds who will call these trees home in the years to come will appreciate Josh’s kind heart and love of sports; or that the small marsupials who take shelter in the leaves will give much thought to Verity’s creative soul and fondness for budgeting. But that takes nothing away from the thoughtfulness, selflessness, and commitment to sustainability that got the trees planted in the first place.

We organised these trees to be planted in the Upper Goulburn District of Victoria, close to the beautiful township of Alexandra.  Over time, the natural vegetation and animal corridors have been dominated by pastures and human productivity. These trees are now providing the opportunity for parts of the land to regenerate and over time will generate a biolink between the local river and nearby native reserves.

Thank you to Fifteen Trees supporters, while we have gained more wildlife and nature in our backyard, more importantly, wildlife can now safely travel from the Murrindindi River without crossing open pasture. Native bees flourish. Birds are singing.

Working with our local Landcare ensures that what is planted is regionally indigenous, and this is extremely important in building healthy and sustainable ecosystems.

Brett Williams | Landcare Member | Upper Goulburn Landcare Network

We adore the human stories behind our trees. Our planet needs more love, and more people like Verity and Josh. We wish them all the very best for their special day, and for all their days thereafter.

Writer – Sarah Hart.

Sarah is an artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven work. Her aim is to delight, to reveal glimpses of everyday beauty and to celebrate flights of the ordinary. Sarah works across a range of media, with an abiding interest in pen and ink, mixed media and the human form. You can find Sarah here.