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 currently maintains a fleet of thirteen 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.

Karl, Melanie and their qualified team have been providing heating and cooling services for Ballarat and the Western District for over thirty years. Waldron Heating, Cooling & Hot Water 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.

This year on National Tree Day (Sunday July 30th), along with 65 local volunteers we planted out Waldron’s 195 native trees at Scotchmans Lead, VIC. The day was coordinated by the Napoleans Enfield Landcare Group.

It is our foremost aim to bring back biodiversity to the surrounds of the Yarrowee Creek, south of the city of Ballarat.

Jenny Ryle | Co-ordinator | Napoleans Enfield National Park

The trees were a mixture of species indigenous to the district. They were supplied by Matt Pywell and the Ballarat Wildplants Nursery. Tree species included a variety of wattles and gum, including Manna Gums and River Gums.

The aim of the planting is to bring back the biodiversity that once occupied this area. With past plantings, native grass is now flourishing and the presence of previously planted native vegetation is changing the depleted soil into a thriving ecosystem. These new trees and shrubs will grow tall helping to reduce carbon emissions into the future. The planting group will be linking this area to the nearby forests and along the river to give the environment a good chance to grow at its best, despite a changing climate.

Revegetation projects rely on sponsors to get trees in the ground. The more individual businesses that pledge to plant, the more likely the project is to grow into a resilient self-sustaining eco-system. Thank you to Karl, Melanie and the team for their ongoing support. To date, we have planted 810 trees on their behalf.

If you are also interested in how your business and Fifteen Trees could work together, contact Colleen at <[email protected]>.

Writer: Colleen 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.