Bellarine Times
Tuesday 6 July 2010
VOL 3. No 27
www.bellarinetimes.com.au
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GET YOUR GREEN ON Taking part in the mammoth task of planting more than 6,000 trees last week were (from left) Megan Bell and Lisa Nash.
Photo: MICHAEL CHAMBERS
Bellarine Rail Trail is enhanced with more than 6,000 trees thanks to Landcare volunteers and Cotton On staff, who are aiming to offset its carbon emissions BY ALISON MARTIN MORE than 6,000 trees were planted along the Bellarine Rail Trail last Friday, as the first project of a Cotton On Foundation initiative to offset carbon emissions. Three-hundred Cotton On employees, based at Geelong head office, were joined by more than 40 Bellarine Landcare Group volunteers for the planting to reduce the company’s environmental impact. Cotton On Foundation manager, Tim Diamond, said last week’s extensive Bellarine tree-planting venture on the popular rail trail was a great project. “It’s all part of our new Get Your Green On
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environment policy initiative to get staff focused on environmental impact,” he explained. “The planting of 6,200 trees on the Bellarine Rail Trail is designed to offset carbon emissions for a year from our head office. We’ll be doing something different with our distrubution centre staff in the next six to eight weeks to help them reduce their environmental impact.” A strong supporter of local charities, Cotton On has grown from one shop in Geelong in 1991 to a ‘fashion powerhouse’ with 600 stores and 4,500 employees in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the United States. Get Your Green On is Cotton On group’s official
campaign to engage staff by providing information and empowering them to take action through environmentally-focused events and resources. Bellarine Landcare Coastcare co-ordinator, Matt Crawley, said the significant initiative would assist with managing invasive environmental weeds and returning the heathy and grassy woodland vegetation along the Bellarine Rail Trail. He said Bellarine Landcare co-ordinated Cotton On’s major planting day, with the support of Geelong Steam Preservation Society and City of Greater Geelong. “This initiative will serve to protect and enhance vital habitat on the Bellarine,” Crawley said.
Bellarine Landcare Group president, Jim Mason, said the indigenous plants had been propagated by many volunteers at the Bellarine Secondary College and Landcare nursery. “The rail reservation and trail from Drysdale to Queenscliff has been considerably enhanced for all stakeholders,” he said. Bellarine Landcare officer, Michaela Holroyd, said the local Landcare group would host a followup planting day along the Bellarine Rail Trail on August 1 and community members can participate. For more details on Bellarine Landcare and the next planting day, contact Michaela Holroyd on 0408 527 619.
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