FROM OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

In my fifth year as President I continue to be amazed by the energy and passion of Trees For Life staff, volunteers and supporters.

As a Kangaroo Island resident, I have greatly enjoyed welcoming Trees For Life staff and volunteers to Kangaroo Island throughout the year as they dedicate themselves to the task of removing Tasmanian blue gum ‘wildlings’ — a highly invasive weed threat in our high quality bushland that features many rare and endemic plants. This project exemplified the qualities of Trees For Life — dedication, practical action and a commitment to making a difference to South Australia’s biodiversity.

As well as delivering a wide range of programs and services, the Board and staff have been focusing on a number of strategic priorities, including delivery of our Climate Change Resilience Strategy and Reconciliation Action Plan, developing a monitoring and evaluation framework to better demonstrate our impact, and workforce planning.

A highlight of the year has been the publication of our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan which provides us with the foundation for embedding respect, relationships and opportunities for First Nations peoples across our organisation and to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices to guide Trees For Life’s activities. The Board has provided valuable leadership to the staff team. We have undertaken a review of our Constitution and By-Laws, and recommended changes to the Constitution were adopted through an EGM in April.

I would like to thank all our board members and in particular outgoing Treasurer Janine Lynch and outgoing board members Stuart Collard and Andrew Dolley. We are very grateful for their collective leadership and wisdom.

The success of Trees For Life is tied inextricably to our volunteers, supporters, partners and staff as everyone translates their personal values and passion into action that supports positive outcomes for South Australia’s landscapes and biodiversity.

By making a Gift in their Will, our thoughtful donors also help to build a solid foundation for our future.

As we go beyond our 40th year, please accept my heartfelt thanks for being part of the Trees For Life family and for doing work that matters.

“Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.” - Brian Solis

Jeanette Gellard – President

FROM OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The past year has seen Trees For Life make progress in a number of areas that will help us improve our impact — from increasing the efficiency of seed use through to new partnerships. We recognise that investing in new knowledge, capacity and collaborations is increasingly important as the scale and complexity of threats to nature grows.

This financial year Trees For Life has also delivered a great diversity of revegetation projects, which have collectively resulted in nearly 600,000 native seedlings making their home in South Australian soil, enriching local biodiversity and bringing beauty to the world in immeasurable ways.

In its 40th year, the iconic Tree Scheme continued to provide a low cost way to access seedlings across the whole state; grown by volunteers from all walks of life. Our Westwood Nursery grew over 232 species and was at full capacity. The Direct Seeding team delivered projects in the Riverland, Fleurieu Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula. Around 8,500 paddock trees have been planted and guarded in the Adelaide Hills and Limestone Coast — creating the next generation of these magnificent trees that will provide food and homes for threatened and declining birds as well as shade and shelter for livestock. It is small, rare plants that have been the focus of planting efforts in a number of Bush For Life sites, with the aim of re-establishing species that have been lost to the Adelaide Plains. We were also able to continue supporting landholders with bushfire recovery across South Australia through the supply of subsidised native seedlings, guards and stakes and to support Cudlee Creek landholders with planting days.

We’re extremely fortunate to have an extensive number of partners across government, business and the non-government sector. Each of our partnerships brings something special and enables us to deliver such a diversity of projects and activities. We’re also grateful to partnerships that enable us to invest in future knowledge and capacity like developing new direct seeding methodologies.

Our staff are fantastic and each person makes such a whole-hearted contribution; I am incredibly grateful to you all.

To the thousands of members, volunteers and donors who support our work — thank you for your relentless passion, dedication and vision.