_TREE PROJECT

TreeProject is a non-profit community organisation dedicated to revegetating the Victorian landscape with indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses. The project works by recruiting volunteer growers from Melbourne and other regional centres to propagate and grow indigenous seedlings on behalf of farmers, land care groups and other organisations.

Volunteer growers are provided with a ‘growing kit’ and basic training and are responsible for planting, germinating and looking after approximately 340 seedlings for a growing season (about 6 months).

Typically each growing kit contains a mix of indigenous species. Important tasks include keeping the seeds and seedlings well watered (initially up to three times a day), thinning and transplanting seedlings as they grow, and protecting the plants at all times from extreme weather conditions and from snails, possums and other garden pests.

Aran’s trees were passed to ‘Malmsbury landcare’ in August 2010 and are now growing on farms, bush blocks and public reserves in the Malmsbury area. Other staff at Collie are growing seedlings during the current growing season.

More information about the TreeProject is available at http://www.treeproject.asn.au/