Can you imagine the environmental impact of planting 16,500 trees? One man in Goulbern Valley Shire, Victoria, has taken this far beyond imagination, committing to reforesting large tracts of his property. With the help of many volunteers, including Arborgreen’s own Perry Lemon, his passion has come to fruition. We are thrilled to share the story of how this project got off the ground and how other landowners can be encouraged and confident to consider projects on their own property.
This committed landholder has asked to remain anonymous; hence, we will call him George for this article. George lives in an area of Victoria where the majority of his neighbours are sheep farmers. Inherently, this usually means large areas of cleared land that provide grazing space, with occasional small islands of refuge in the form of lone trees or small groves. However, one of his neighbours stands in contrast to this as the owner of a sprawling plantation. The radical contrast between his neighbours spurred George to consider how creating space for more native trees and plants could improve his local environment.
It was by chance that George heard about a pilot program conducted by the Federal Government. This program provided grants to landholders to aid them with reforestation, and this was just what George needed to kickstart a project that would have repercussions for him and for generations of his family to come. The grant program offered financial aid to long-term reforestation projects, in this case, for twenty-five years. This is, needless to say, a massive commitment – however, George saw this as a chance to create an environmental legacy, particularly for his parents, now in their nineties. They would have the opportunity to see the land replanted, and years from now, their family and community would still see the benefit of these efforts.
Alongside increasing the amount and diversity of local flora, George saw the value of his passion project for creating new homes for endangered fauna. The Striped Legless Lizard and the Phascogale, which, for those of us unfamiliar, is an animal similar in appearance to the Possum (though more closely related to the Tasmanian Devil!), are both species in steep decline and classed as endangered. This is due to a few factors, most prevalently—the loss of nesting sites and increased predation by feral cats.
“I would like to give these creatures a home as well. I put a lot of thought into this. We weighed up the pros and cons, and even though it cost me a lot of money, it’s all worth it in the end. “George, Landholder
When Perry last joined George on site, they had a daunting task: tackling the planting of the region he lovingly calls ‘Mt Nearly Impossible’. This feature of George’s land comprises of a series of high grassy hills and low valleys and is the furthest point of the entire project.
On that day, George, Perry, and his wife planted 80 trees, a drop in the ocean of the total 16,500 trees planted—but perhaps some of the hardest! After a demanding hike, not to mention transporting the planting materials (stakes and tree guards, plus tube stock), they found the slopes of the hill an intense challenge, making for slow going as they painstakingly planted and guarded each seedling.
The results speak for themselves, however. The picture to the right shows a landscape dotted with tree guards, a hopeful glimpse of the future where the hill sides are reforested and offer valuable new habitats for native animals.
After a massively demanding day, the three tree planters had the opportunity to rest and reflect. George shared with Perry that after that day, the rest of the project felt more possible than ever. Knowing they could and had tackled the hardest of what his property had to offer, the tumultuous goal of planting over 16 thousand trees seemed more achievable than ever.
Through June 2023 and September 2024, between 150 and 200 volunteers have joined George on his property to lend a hand to his environmental passion project. At one point, he even had a school group visit, with 50 kids and 10 teachers getting their hands dirty. For George, the infectious enthusiasm he has seen for his project across the community teaches an important lesson – that when you undertake a project of this scale, you don’t have to do it alone. Many people in the community want to make a difference but don’t necessarily have the land or resources to see how they can make a meaningful impact. As George shares, “Anybody can help volunteer for projects and have a significant impact; you don’t have to be a landholder. Every extra hand helps”. The role of private companies and government in creating more opportunities for initiatives like this to take off is also essential, according to George – and we agree. Arborgreen’s own ‘Muddy Puddle Policy’ enabled Perry to be out with George onsite. This policy enables the Arborgreen team to be out in the field with end-users of our products, helping to plant trees and otherwise getting muddy. If more companies had similar policies to allow their staff to find the time to support initiatives like this one, George hopes, it would help more projects like his to succeed.
George also shared that although we don’t always like to talk about the cents and dollars, the financial implications of a project of this scale are often the biggest roadblock for landowners looking to do the same. The grant he received from the Federal Government was vital for this project, and even with these funds, his own financial contributions were crucial for getting the project off the ground.
For those looking to launch their own environmental planting projects, it’s essential to understand the costs and commitment involved and know where to go for assistance.
As he wrapped up his time planting, George had a great deal of valuable advice to offer future landowners who would like to follow in his footsteps.
To wrap up our questions to George about his time planting, we asked him what the most challenging parts of his project were and what difficulties he didn’t foresee.
As George shared, the reality of the project was that some regions of his land were very physically demanding (especially the famous Mt. ‘Nearly’ Impossible). Surmounting these challenges, however, left him with the biggest feeling of achievement, a new sense of meaning, and even relaxation in the hard work. Almost every visitor to the site has said similarly. Not only is this project creating a greener, brighter future for the region, but it’s also uniting people for a joint purpose and appreciation for nature. The challenges along the way have made the outcome that much more satisfying.
For the Arborgreen team, we love seeing grassroots action take hold. We are dedicated to helping people plant the future, and the opportunity to partner with George has been nothing short of inspiring. For our team member Perry, who took part through both work and through donating his own personal time, it has been a pivotal experience that, in his own words, “puts meaning behind what he does behind his desk every day – providing tree planting materials to projects and now getting to see the positive impact we are having.”
If you are planning your own planting project, we encourage you to contact the Arborgreen team. If you have further questions you would like to ask George, please reach out. He is happy to share more information on this project or even to chat about your passion project.
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