When you’re a reputable business with a loyal and growing clientele you tend to move around the region a bit. Waldron Heating, Cooling and Hot Water and now Waldron Solar Solutions currently maintains a fleet of 15 vehicles to help with that movement. To reduce the carbon footprint of all this driving, Karl and Melanie Waldron have partnered with Fifteen Trees. We plant 15 trees per year for every car in the fleet. And to date, have now planted 1,260 native trees across the Ballarat District due to their generous support.

Karl, Melanie and their qualified team have been providing heating and cooling services for Ballarat and the Western District for over thirty years. Waldron also offer a clean, green and sustainable option when it comes to powering the home – solar power. And given their customers are spread over a wide area, they travel a tonne of kilometres annually, so it’s a brilliant move opting to plant trees to reduce the carbon emission of their fleet.

The trees were planted in the Ballarat district by  Bald Hills Creswick Landcare Group to provide habitat for local native wildlife.  Eight (8) enthusiastic volunteers gathered at Creswick for a community planting day, rolling up their sleeves to plant native trees and shrubs, erect protective guards, and spread woodchip mulch to give the young plants the best start possible.

Among the species planted were Sweet Bursaria, Tussock Grass, Bottle Brush, Broadleaf Peppermint, and Red Ironbark – species all well suited to the local environment and valuable for restoring native habitat.

These new plantings will, over time, provide vital shelter and food sources for local wildlife, including possums, echidnas, magpies, falcons, kites, ravens, finches, honeyeaters, wrens, rosellas, cockatoos, and black sulphur-crested cockatoos. Together, these efforts will help strengthen biodiversity and contribute to the ongoing regeneration of the Creswick landscape.

On behalf of our Landcare group, we’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous support in subsidising native trees for our recent habitat restoration project.

Your contribution has made a real difference – these trees are now taking root on private land, helping to restore vital habitat for our local native wildlife. Thanks to your support, we’re not only growing trees, but also fostering biodiversity and a healthier landscape for generations to come.

It’s partnerships like this that truly bring community-driven conservation to life. We’re so grateful for your generosity, and we look forward to continuing to work together to protect and restore our natural environment.

David Unwin | President | Bald Hills Creswick Landcare Group

We also thank the team at Waldron 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.