ReLeaf Spring 2021

A Trees For Life Publication SPRING 2021 ISSUE 159

SOWING THE SEEDS FOR CHANGE PART 3

HOME GROWN STORIES

SIDE BY SIDE WE DID IT!

MESSAGE FROM

our CEO S

pring is a time of renewal and celebration, and this spring I feel particularly grateful to be celebrating 40 years of hard work, passion, commitment and hope.

Trees For Life was launched from the backyards and living rooms of a group of passionate people who wanted to bring life back to South Australia’s heavily cleared landscapes. Over 40 years we’ve demonstrated just what can be achieved when people work together for a common vision. There is a bond between us that spans the generations; a love of ‘home’ that has inspired thousands of people to grow and nurture seedlings in their own backyard, to bring the bush back to health, to replant and restore their properties and to provide us the financial resources we need to get the work done.

Our ability to respond rapidly and meaningfully to the devastating

bushfires last year is thanks to this shared commitment and also to the decades of experience we have to guide us.

We continue to adapt and change, to face the ever-growing challenges facing the natural world. Turning 40 is an opportunity to renew our sense of purpose and ambition to tackle the challenges ahead.

Thank you to everyone that has walked beside us over the decades.

Whether you have been involved for one year or 40, you are all part of the Trees For Life family and I hope you are proud of your contribution to protecting and restoring our precious native flora.

Natasha Davis – CEO

IN THIS ISSUE… 3

SOWING THE SEEDS FOR CHANGE PART 3

6

HOME GROWN STORIES FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS

13 HOME GROWN STORIES FROM OUR STAFF 17 HOME GROWN STORIES FROM OUR SPONSORS 19 SIDE BY SIDE WE DID IT! 21 What's happening 22 What’s on 1

Over 40 years we’ve demonstrated just what can be achieved when people work together for a common vision.

Trees For Life acknowledges the traditional Custodians of our land and waters and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. We acknowledge and respect the deep spiritual connection and relationship that First Nations have to Country.

Cover photo: Round-leaf wattle (Acacia acinacea) home grown with love by volunteer Phil Bagust. Taken

by Samantha Catford.

MESSAGE FROM

d r a o B d n a t n e our Presid THANK YOU SOUTH AUSTRALIA FOR HELPING US GROW

T

his year we have been celebrating 40 years of Trees For Life, sharing our story and recognising the people who have created our history. People who have shared a vision to restore and protect South Australian landscapes through on-ground action. With over 7,000 active supporters and volunteers, we have established our own family tree. And like any family tree spanning generations we have grown and branched out in our work, bringing together more people, strengthening our foundations and yet remaining true to our core values of nature, community, collaboration, inspiration and resilience, all demonstrated through real action that makes a difference to our landscapes. Reflecting on the past 40 years gives us an opportunity to better understand the context of our mission,

it helps transform our perspectives, and deepen our understanding of what we do and why it is important.

It is with a deep sense of gratitude that the Trees For Life Board extend our thanks to the Trees For Life family, past and present. Your achievements have become the building blocks that enable us to construct a sense of our current impact and future success.

Jeanette Gellard – President

If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.

– Sir Isaac Newton

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Trees For Life Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 14 October 2021 at 6.00 pm. This year the meeting will be online, which we hope will make it more accessible for our members across South Australia. If you’d like to join us, but don’t have access to online meeting facilities (Zoom), please get in touch. For more information please visit our website. To RSVP contact us on 8406 0500 or info@treesforlife.org.au.

2

SOWING THE SEEDS FOR CHANGE PART 3

3

We are turning 40 years young! To mark the occasion, we thought it would be fitting to look back at our evolution.

E

ntering its third decade and a new millennium, Trees For Life was in an all too familiar position, one of growth and expansion. With relocating, rebranding and the adoption of new practices that could drastically increase the scale of operations, Trees For Life was well and truly entering the 21st century.

In 2001, monumental plans were in place for the 2002 planting season. Introducing a Direct Seeding Program would see large-scale seeding operations take place in some of South Australia’s most barren stretches of landscape.

Through the use of specialised direct seeding machinery, Trees For Life could undertake extensive planting projects that would provide a new way of revegetating. The key region the program would focus on was the Murray-Darling Basin catchment, with a home base of operations in Palmer, and would extend through the Adelaide Hills.

Such a large operation would require specific knowledge and experience. That’s where David Hein came in. David had over 17 years of experience in revegetation projects, including direct seeding, being involved significantly in the innovation and building of specialised equipment for this new approach. David brought this extensive knowledge to his role as the coordinator for the Direct Seeding Program. It was a major venture, with the goal of undertaking revegetation to build biodiversity over a greater area than previously achieved by Trees For Life.

The strategy is to address complete revegetation by first introducing dominant species to each revegetation site.

– ReLeaf, Spring 2001, No.80.

But without enough seed, reaching the goals of the Direct Seeding Program would be impossible. So a call out was made to volunteers in ReLeaf to assist with collecting more seed, as well as a more extensive variety of species. Volunteers rose to the occasion, by collecting over 150 kilograms of seed in 2002, and ultimately booking out all seed

collecting workshops that year.

Meanwhile, David spent ten months inspecting sites, writing revegetation plans, collecting seed, controlling weeds, and direct seeding over 300 kilometres of land. There was plenty of work ahead, with up to 375,000 plants contracted for direct seeding in the first year.

Also in the first year, the program took on a significant large-scale project at the Monarto Zoological Park (now known as Monarto Safari Park). Partnering with Planet Ark and Monarto, the project involved establishing large sections of revegetation within the park’s MurrayDarling Basin region. The intended outcomes were extensive but showed great promise: Increasing the parks support of local flora and fauna populations.

Buffering remnant vegetation.

Providing education to schools, volunteers and the general public.

Improving knowledge and understanding of revegetation techniques.

Reversing salinity and erosion.

Enhancing the aesthetic of the park.

› › › › › ›

TOP LEFT: Actors Ged Sturgess and Rebecca Gilling, Monarto 2002.

BOTTOM LEFT: Sorting seedlings prior to planting, Monarto 2002.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Andrew Allanson and David Hein.

4

2002-2011 IN NUMBERS Total trees grown: The climate, however, had plans of its own. In 2002, there was a “one in 50 years” drought in the region, making revegetation outcomes a real challenge. It was inescapable that the drought would affect progress, but David had the knowledge to work with the challenging conditions. By using techniques such as deep ripping and well formations around individual seedlings, they stood a better chance of surviving in the difficult climate.

Additional support came through an established school student watering program. The most impressive achievement was the result of a joint effort between students and volunteers over the course of 26 planting days. An astounding 830 school students and 259 adults spent over 3,300 volunteer hours working on the project. While germination was sporadic and heavily affected by the drought, the established site was the foundation for more growth and work over the following years.

Year by year, the Monarto project started to show signs of success. In 2004, the troubled drought-stricken parts of the land saw 33 kilometres reseeded. The Direct Seeding team could diversify the species being planted due to the gradual rollout of the project combined with the seed collecting efforts of our volunteers.

Luck soon struck as summer rainfall helped raise expectations that establishment and survival rates would be more successful than previous years.

11,340,522 Volunteer hours:

5,309,040 HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS OF THE DECADE 2004 Norm Lee 2005 Dennis and Carolyn Slade 2007 Geoff and Barbara Moss

Over a three year period 125 hectares of land was fenced and revegetated with local indigenous native plants, resulting in more than 150,000 trees, shrubs and groundcovers.

– ReLeaf, winter 2007, No. 103.

The project continued beyond the initial three years, as an ongoing planting site for schools and volunteers. What was once a dry, barren landscape was now teeming with life, as both native flora and fauna thrived. Monarto introduced 5

kangaroos, echidnas, emus, reptiles and birds to the established areas, providing a significant natural habitat within the park.

The Monarto Zoological Park project was a shining example of just how far Trees For Life had come and what could be accomplished on a largescale by working side by side with like-minded organisations. There was now an infectious buzz of anticipation within Trees For Life for what the future held.  ABOVE: Direct seeding machine.

HOME GROWN STORIES

s r e e t n u l o v r u o From David Mitchell – Board President, 2000-2018

I joined Trees For Life for something to keep me occupied in my retirement.

It was the start of a love affair that has lasted over twenty years, becoming an obsession that has given me so much personal satisfaction. "Why don't you grow a few trees Dave?" a mate of mine suggested. I did and was hooked; bushcare and seed collecting followed which brought me into contact with so many likeminded volunteers.

Volunteers are the magic ingredient which has made Trees For Life such a success story over our 40 year lifetime. We've become a family with a common purpose conceived by our founders and nurtured over the past four decades by volunteers and staff alike.

The Tree Scheme was our flagship program but in the late 1990s, a couple of our staff initiated bushcare, which in the early 2000s we branded Bush For Life and augmented with Bush Action Teams (BATs) tackling seriously compromised areas of native bush. Direct Seeding and TFL Works were to follow. Our impact on the South Australian natural environment has been truly amazing and community-based, establishing Trees For Life as a household name.

We've not only survived where many others have perished but are looking good for the next 40 years; knowing that I have contributed something to that story is a source of great pride and satisfaction.

Over a number of years we moulded the management committee into a more business-like board with a gradual change of membership, emphasising a wider range of skill sets. To achieve such a transformation took time, but was achieved without compromising Trees For Life's core values and with tremendous support

David Mitchell being presented his Honorary Life Membership by His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC in 2017.

from all involved, especially staff.

In the early part of the 2000s, we changed from a rather quirky but committed group of greenies into a highly effective and, dare I say, competitive organisation. Through all of this, the importance and value of our volunteers remained paramount and was what distinguished us from most other similar organisations.

Trees For Life has been a pioneer with a clear mission but has adapted to change, thereby remaining relevant and effective, which is a credit to all involved. The current Board and management are continuing our aim for all South Australians to value native plants and animals and be actively involved in protecting the land we love for current and future generations.

Looking back on my 17 years as President, I'd like to think that I helped transform Trees For Life from 6

an enthusiastic crowd of amateurs into an effective business unit but with a minimum of what might be called "management mumbo jumbo".

We've maintained the passion, kept things simple and stuck to our vision.

We owe so much to the dedicated visionaries who, in 1981, founded Men of the Trees based on a passion for the environment, our wonderful native vegetation and a belief in what a small group of people can achieve. People such as Burr Dodd and Lolo Houbein who started the ball rolling and Andy Sutherland who did so much to turn the dream into a reality. We've grown, become more sophisticated and diverse, but our core values remain the same.

Phil Bagust I was already pretty familiar with the bush as I’d been a surveyor. Didn't know that much about plants, but I did really like the mallee and I loved native pines. I’d also been involved with some conservation movement campaigns, but when I went to uni I wanted to do something practical, not just protest and write letters. Luckily, I discovered that I really liked learning more about native plants. I think I picked up a Trees For Life pamphlet at uni. The first few things I did were planting days on the Fleurieu, which turned out to be good fun and the hosts were always so grateful and gave you a great feed on a cold winter’s day. Then I got involved with seed collecting, which was more solitary if you wanted it to be but which gave you great opportunities to explore off the beaten track. I also discovered the Tree Scheme which I thought was a brilliant idea for getting normally separate groups of people (farmers and city slickers) together, and so I grew for that a few times before getting lured back to collecting for the Seed Bank and eventually other things.

I’m kind of amazed Trees For Life has made it this far … having travelled a really difficult route, trying to be practical and not too political in an environment where funds are increasingly tight. I’m also amazed there’s no exact equivalent in the other states that I’m aware of (although there is a great organisation in Scotland of the same name and broadly same aim that’s been going for about as long). It just goes to show that if you have a good idea (like the Tree Scheme, for instance) and get people on board, they won’t let the idea die despite the hurdles.

I’ve done nothing compared to a lot of people, some of whom I work with now, and in fact I was only minimally involved for quite a few years as my professional life got really busy. I’ve stuck with it though, because it's really satisfying doing something practical for the environment when so many other things conspire to paralyse and depress you. Seeing a planted seed turn into a seedling and then a grown tree is good medicine. If you really pushed me, I’d say I’m always trying to hassle my Seed Bank Manager and the Nursery Manager to introduce new species to our Tree Scheme species lists because there’s still so many amazing native plants that hardly anyone knows about.

7

Richard House I joined because I saw the seedlings that a friend of mine was growing in his back garden in Glen Osmond. When he told me what it was all about I was so impressed by the cause that I joined immediately as a Life Member. That was in the early 1990s. Since then I have grown trees every year but one.

When I joined, Trees For Life was just a small operation in a few buildings at Campbelltown. I used to help in the office sometimes where there were only three other staff. Trees For Life has so many other activities now apart from the volunteer growing program. For many years I used to help in the office with mail-outs, but when I moved from Adelaide, that was no longer convenient. One of the other inspiring activities of Trees For Life is the Bush For Life program, and I had a site of my own for many years.

My proudest achievements are the elimination of at least ten weed types on my Bush For Life site.

Production of at least 10,000 trees. The fact that my work for Trees For Life was one of several community interests that led to me being awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2013.

I always enjoyed working in the office with other volunteers doing envelope stuffing. I have worked at Campbelltown, Pasadena and Brooklyn Park. It is also wonderful to see the dedication of the paid staff, who have always been helpful and friendly.

Peter and Margaret Cannon We were encouraged to join Men of the Trees in the early 1980s by Theo Schilizzi who had been a member in Sydney. At the time our business was designing and building energy efficient houses as 'The Natural Energy Centre'. The recent 1970s oil crisis had highlighted the issue of energy efficiency and global warming. This was before the growth of photovoltaics and wind farms so biofuel was the most promising renewable energy.

We started building efficient wood fires (Nectre Natural Energy CenTRE) and put a Men of the Trees, later a Trees For Life brochure in each heater in the hope of encouraging Wood Lotting for fuel. We also grew our annual crop of seedlings.

The huge growth of photovoltaics and heat pumps has made wood heating less important, although pleasant, but growing more trees remains critical.

8

Elizabeth Hutchins By coincidence, two “greenies” urged me to join Trees For Life within a week of each other, way back in 1990. First, a neighbour showed me his seedlings, saying “Your garden is sunnier than mine. You could do this”. Then my teenage daughter Catherine came home from school, fired up to start growing by a teacher who ran an environmental group. So that year we propagated six boxes of eucalypts to be planted along the O-Bahn bus route. Although my family still supports my efforts, the following year I enrolled alone, deciding to tackle ten boxes for a landholder – as I have done ever since.

I’m so proud of this organisation!

For 40 years landholders and growers have had the same aim – to revegetate our lovely state. Watching seedlings grow is our reward: nobody is trying to make a profit, to be top dog or even to be recognised for their endeavours. The outcome, 32 million trees propagated, is amazing.

How many other organisations can boast a record like that? And I wonder how many growers now count this activity as their contribution towards combating climate change and preserving our wildlife.

I have produced at least 21,000 native seedlings over the last 31 years, half of that time growing for two wonderful organic egg farmers on Kangaroo Island. I have long had a keen interest in the island’s highly endangered glossy black-cockatoos, often in the past growing the sheoaks

that are their only diet. And this year, as a special project, I grew a variety of seedlings for their red-tailed cockatoo relations in a bushfire affected area of the South-East. Since my arthritic fingers and the time required make tube filling a real chore, I enlisted the help of seven of my author friends to get me started. Two teams worked for an hour, coming together for afternoon tea in the middle. A highly recommended strategy and a lovely social occasion.

I’ve always loved getting thank you messages and photos of my trees as they began to mature; and very much appreciate the samples of local KI produce that have come my way in recent years.

One landholder on Yorke Peninsula, whose farm eventually had enough trees, started revegetating the surrounding roadsides (I think I spotted some of my trees once).

Then there was the young man from up north who arrived barefooted to collect his seedlings, which included saltbush. He sent me photos, including one of his “pet” mouse that popped up regularly through a hole in his kitchen floor. Someone minding a country property for friends arrived with a welcome bottle of red wine – which (after all my work!) he thrust into my husband’s hands. I can laugh at such instances because, overwhelmingly, I’ve always felt so warmly appreciated. THANK YOU, TREES FOR LIFE.

9

LEFT FROM TOP:

Elizabeth Hutchin's granddaughter Hannah, daughter Catherine, granddaughter Abby, and Elizabeth's husband John.

Elizabeth Hutchins and Jack getting soil ready.

RIGHT FROM TOP:

David Box (3rd from left) and David Kilmartin (3rd from right) with family and friends in 2021.

Planting day on David Box's property 2021.

Sebastian Kilmartin (back right) with David Box's young son Bill (front right) and friends.

David Kilmartin I was concerned about the state of the environment, land clearing and land degradation, and wanted to do something positive to help address the situation. But as a young urban person there seemed little that I could do. I recall finding a brochure about Trees For Life while waiting for my car to be serviced in the 1990s sometime.

I enjoyed growing plants and being close to nature, so I thought Trees For Life sounded like a good fit, and I jumped at the opportunity. For the last 20 years, I’ve been growing for David Box (aka Boxy), a landholder in Jamestown. My family has developed a close relationship with Boxy and his family and many of the friendly locals at Jamestown who help us plant each year. We look forward each year to going up and helping plant out the seedlings.

I’m happy that the idea and concept of Trees For Life has survived. Having been with Trees For Life for quite a while, I feel that a lot has been achieved, but there is still so much more to do. It’s a challenge to inspire people to volunteer, but I hope it continues to promote this aspect.

It’s not just about getting flora in the ground; I believe the strong links between city and rural folk is almost as important (as well as the chance to experience the aspect of broad area nature regeneration which nonlandholders rarely have a chance to experience). A lot has changed within the organisation but I still feel the same mission and opportunities are

there for people power to make a difference – for urban dwellers to make small, positive individual impacts for the environment that combine to produce a big, positive effect.

I take pride each year when my family and I go back to help plant more trees at Jamestown, and we see the further growth in vegetation from past years, including environments that are now regenerating by themselves, harbouring kangaroos and birds; each year that proud achievement grows prouder. I also feel good that we’ve had a chance to introduce our children, family and friends to the opportunity that Trees For Life provides, and the benefits of the volunteer work; and some have taken that up by becoming growers for Trees For Life.

Each year when we go up to plant on the June long weekend we have a big dinner and drink the wine that Boxy produces from his small landholding and laugh a lot.

Sometimes he organises an enormous bonfire, and the younger people and newcomers get to experience some of the rural lifestyle and things that only happen in the countryside.

Boxy sometimes has backpackers 10

staying with him (as his farm is a Willing Workers on Organic Farms – WOOFers – farm) so we get to have interesting conversations with young, international travellers with common interests. In recent times we’ve been able to tour the nearby wind farm landscape. After 20 years, our children have grown up with Boxy and Jamestown and made unique, longlasting links to rural folk and rural life.

Thank you to the original Trees For Life visionaries and for the Trees For Life team across the years to the current day, who provide the framework for this valuable volunteer opportunity.

Paul and Bronwen Rosser I wanted to be a part of greening up South Australia.

We owned acreages that had unprofitable vines on them and we restored them to scrub lots that still exist today in a sea of vineyards in McLaren Vale and McLaren Flat. Neighbours learnt to live with them as they were a haven for native species that helped control "bad guys" in their vineyards. Also, our native grasses infiltrated their vineyards, showing the benefits over time to their bottom lines and profitability. These methods of co-existence of natives and vines is now widespread because the benefits are now proven. Good examples are the work currently being done by the McLaren Vale Biodiversity Project and Leask's Regenerative Viticulture family company.

With Trees For Life turning 40 we feel in one word, old!!

We were there when it started and still there 40 years later.

It's been great to be part of growing thousands of trees, Bush For Life with our beautiful Willunga Hill bushcare site, seed collecting all over South Australia, going to all of Trees For Life's training courses to get our knowledge up to scratch, serving on the Trees For Life Board for a couple of years, meeting and working with our Willunga Trees For Life Branch in our local community and working as a Trees For Life member with local schools and the Onkaparinga Council staff. It's been a great journey and one full of fun and hard work, out in the field in all types of weathers.

Lastly, I think of the many lasting friendships I've made with fellow members, staff and farmers we've grown for.

Our proudest moment was eradicating a hectare of periwinkle over a 21-year period with my friends at Willunga Hill Bush For Life site. It was hard work, but we did it. Last time I was there around four weeks ago there was only one plant. It has now gone to God and hopefully it was the last. I always check the area when I'm up there in case the critters return. Fingers crossed that will never occur. The other thing that I feel good about was being on the Board when we bought May Terrace and it became a freehold property with no rentals being paid out anymore.

It was a great achievement thanks to one of our wonderful benefactors. All members should be eternally grateful for such generosity. All praise to Chairperson David Mitchell for steering this achievement through.

The funniest memory that I have is when a fellow member checked out a composting toilet, which was a new thing all those years ago, when the earth on the side of the compost caved in, with him going with it. We had to pull him out with a rope amidst a lot of laughter from the “pullers”. He wasn’t welcome in the bar of the local on the way back to camp, but we all shared a schooner outside on the veranda. A rather smelly occurrence.

11

Lyndall Tayler

Anne Kirk

Knowing my interest in the environment, a friend suggested I consider volunteering at Trees For Life. I did that a few years ago and have no regrets.

I am pleased that I can contribute in a small way in the Seed Bank working with a team of knowledgeable and friendly people. Our environment would be in a dire state without the care, commitment and planning from many people over the years to conserve and improve our natural environment.

I was working in the city and walking down Rundle Mall at lunch time in 2011. It was Mental Health Week and there was a booth with people giving out information on things to do to help your well-being. I picked up a leaflet and decided to do a Come and Try activity with Bush For Life because it was an outdoor activity with no experience required and on a Saturday morning. This was appealing as I worked during the week and all my life I'd worked indoors and I felt like doing something different and helping the environment. I met Randall at the Hallett Cove Headland site and I was the only Come and Try volunteer.

This was the first time Bush For Life had a Come and Try day, so I can now brag that I was the first Come and Try volunteer with Bush For Life (and I'm still trying). My first weed was scabious, which was a bit sad as I'd always thought it was a wildflower. Randall and I talked more than we weeded, but I enjoyed myself and came to the next Come and Try day and was allowed to join some miniBush Action Teams (BATs) prior to attending a workshop.

While I was working, I would attend BATs or mini-BATs on Saturdays and once I retired I was able to go to activities during the week and I've also been lucky to join some extended BATs too.

My proudest achievement was finding a leafy greenhood at a private property in the Hills while on a mini-BAT. I noticed something different, asked the site volunteer and Bess (Trees For Life staff member) what it was, and was amazed at how excited Bess was. I'd not only found a plant that wasn't on the species list for that site, but Pterostylis cucullata is endangered in SA and vulnerable nationally.

The site carers had worked on this property for 20 years, so there was great excitement all round.

A fond memory of mine was when I took my elderly mum for a drive through Belair National Park one spring and she remarked on how pretty the flowers were. "They are all weeds, mum" I told her. She was silent, and I felt a bit mean as before working with Bush For Life I too would have thought the cape tulip and three corner garlic were pretty flowers. So I agreed with her that the flowers were pretty and silently marvelled at how my basic knowledge had improved since volunteering with Bush For Life. So once you start volunteering … you see weeds everywhere and it is important to focus on the “goodies”.

Mary and Keith Taylor As a grower, bushcarer and Seed Bank volunteer over many years, I have found the staff friendly, appreciative and supportive.

It has been a privilege to work with the committed Trees For Life team in their valuable and practical environmental projects.

Kath Melbourne I joined Trees For Life because I liked the idea of growing trees and replenishing the oxygen for my children and now my grandchildren. As well as the benefits of retaining the soil where previously there has been soil erosion.

I have lost track of how long we have been growing trees, but it must be well over 30 years if Trees For Life is turning 40!

I love it when “my babies” all sprout up in every container in the good years and I don’t have to do much transplanting, but then comes the time when I have to take out “my orphans” to have one tree grow well.

When we had the Pinery fires, I was proud to be a Trees For Life member, knowing we were helping replenish what was sadly lost.

RIGHT: Anne Kirk on a Bush Action Team day.

12

HOME GROWN STORIES

ff a t s r u o m o r F Vicki-Jo Russell – Program Manager Revegetation Services I’d worked with Trees For Life in other roles since the early nineties and always admired the Tree Scheme and Bushcare models. In 2015, I was looking for a role where I could contribute to practical outcomes on ground and at scale to deliver change for people and nature and to work for an organisation with a strong community-based culture. I was thrilled when I was offered a role with Trees For Life. On my first day the staff held a home-made morning tea to thank some of the major donors and volunteers and I felt like I’d come home. Great people, gratitude for our supporters and ambition to do good work is so genuine at Trees For Life and I’m sure that is central to why we’re celebrating our 40th.

40 is a great age! It’s old enough to have learned from some of the spectacular mistakes of youth, but not so old as to be looking for a seaside property post retirement. At 40, as you approach your prime, you know who you are, and I believe this is true for Trees For Life; a prime I hope will last another 40 years. After all, our work is as important now as it was when we started. I feel proud of being part of our 40th year but it’s one of many milestones I am sure we’ll achieve as the Trees For Life community is just warming up.

It is hard to identify a single proudest moment at Trees For Life.

Some highlights have been how far the Westwood Nursery has come in the past five years including the annual plant sale which is a “must go to” event in many of our supporter’s calendar, new projects such as Red-tail habitat and paddock trees in the south east and Reclaim the Dunes in the City of Holdfast Bay and working side by side with landholders

and regional communities on bushfire recovery.

I have never worked for an organisation like Trees For Life where supporters write such heartfelt letters or call up to talk to staff. Trees For Life in its 40th year is the sum of every one of those supporters, growers, revegetators, bushcarers, planters, donors, partners, staff, Board and friends and we carry those good wishes with us.

My hopes for the future; landscapes need at least 30% of their ecosystems intact to function and more to thrive.

Trees For Life has the community, experience and passion it needs to make a significant contribution to that target so that South Australia’s community and landscapes flourish. It may look a little different in our mind’s eye than it would have 40 years ago when the understanding of climate change was only emerging in public debate, but it will be magnificent just the same. It will be healthy and it will be home.

13

Amelia Hurren – Program Manager, Bush For Life I have known about Trees For Life for as long as I can remember. My mother’s side of the family is from Strathalbyn and my grandmother was good friends with Betty Westwood. While I can’t recall actually meeting Betty, I was aware of her influence on my grandparents and on the Strathalbyn community.

I joined Trees For Life as a volunteer in 2004. I had just returned to Adelaide from nine years living in Sydney to start a new job as Bush Management Advisor in the Adelaide Hills. My first priority was to re-familiarise myself with SA vegetation and learn bush management skills, and joining Bush For Life was the obvious pathway to do this. I attended a workshop and adopted a Bush For Life site, learning from Trees For Life legends, Andrew Allanson, Peter Tucker and Sue Bradstreet. It was ten years later that I joined as a staff member, taking on the Bush For Life Manager position in 2014.

It feels joyous to know that an organisation which began from a group of passionate conservationists has become such a force for positive on-ground action in SA. It fills me with hope to see the organisation having not only continued for 40 years but grow in skill, reputation and diversity over that time.

There are so many moments and achievements that make me feel proud. But I can’t go past the team I work with who makes me proud every day. Their incredible passion and commitment to conserving the earth on which we all depend is humbling. They are always striving to be their best for our volunteers and for nature. Sometimes our work as bushcarers goes unappreciated because it tends to be slow and steady. But like the tortoise in the fable, we can see the incredible outcomes this slow and steady approach achieves from before and after photos on some of our long-term sites.

Knowing that my work is making a difference to the health of our earth, and empowering others to join this effort, makes me very proud.

LEFT: Vicki-Jo Russell at the plant give-way for the Pinery bushfire recovery.

ABOVE: Amelia Hurren at a planting day at Willaston.

RIGHT: Randall Bates at an extended Bush Action Team on Kangaroo Island.

Randall Bates – Group Activites Coordinator, Bush For Life My journey with Trees For Life started in September 2004. I was having a whole life and career change and wanted to volunteer doing something for the environment and the community.

It was after I attended my first bushcare workshop, I decided that this was the organisation I would like to work for. For the next two years I undertook studies in Conservation and Land Management, gaining work experience and continuing to volunteer. I first met Peter Watton whilst still a student. Some time later when I had completed my studies he rang me and asked if I would like to work for Trees For Life a couple of days a week. I started out in the contract team which later became TFL Works. A short time later I was offered a full time position; one I have now held for over 13 years!

Now Trees For Life is turning 40 and I am enormously proud of the members, volunteers and staff who have helped to keep this wonderful organisation running for so long while having changes of staff and volunteers.

The baton keeps being passed onto new people and these people keep rising to all the challenges we have met over 40 years to help it continue to survive and thrive and help the environment recover. I get a real sense of achievement from being able to work with and support volunteers and staff and help them to help the environment while learning from them.

14

Peter Watton – Operations Manager, Bush For Life I spent the first 16 years of my working life with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, then took a voluntary retrenchment package after it was privatised. After doing the home husband and parent thing for a few months with our two young daughters, I started up a small parttime lawn mowing and gardening round. Soon afterwards I started some study with TAFE SA, with parttime evening classes. I started two courses, Certificate 3 in Horticulture (Gardening) and Certificate 3 in Horticulture (Turf), then later Certificate 3 in Natural Resources.

Andrew Allanson, who started the Bush For Life program at Trees For Life in 1994, came along as a guest speaker at one of the bushcare classes. His talk was basically a very abbreviated version of the Introduction to

Clearly, there was something that struck a chord for me personally, in particular the right of our natural vegetation to exist, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bushcare Workshops we still run.

I finished the three TAFE courses and then booked into one of the Bush For Life workshops early in 2000. At the end of the workshop, attendees were asked whether they wanted to adopt a site and could nominate where they wanted to volunteer. I had found a small council reserve near home with native vegetation on it while doing a plant herbarium as part of one of my TAFE courses, and said I would like to volunteer there.

Andrew, who was one of the presenters at the Bush For Life workshop, arranged to meet me at the site and agreed it was suitable for the program. He compiled a species list, identifying 46 native species, and arranged with the local council to establish the reserve as a Bush For Life site. At my official site introduction, Andrew asked me whether I would like to be a Bush For Life Regional Coordinator. I delayed this until later in

the year, but then took on my first five sites as Regional Coordinator.

Being that I knew I wanted to work in the conservation area, I had also applied for a job in the Tree Scheme in September 2000, as Tree Scheme Materials Officer. While I got an interview, I missed out on the job, but was offered the same position 12 months later, when the original appointee got another job. This meant I now had the equivalent of four days a week work with Trees For Life, which became five when I did a day a week as Seed Bank Assistant, helping the Seed Bank Manager collect, clean and sort seed for the Tree Scheme. Each of these jobs had busy and quiet times during the year, and it was a bit of a juggling act fitting them all together.

After a while, the Bush For Life Regional Coordinator work changed from contractor to employee, which the other roles already were, and this simplified things a lot. Also, over time, each role became busier, so that I had to decide which would be my main work and which would fall by the

15

wayside. As people can guess, my true passion is in bush regeneration, so that’s where I ended up full time.

I think I can say that it is largely with a sense of pride that Trees For Life has continued to grow and adapt over the years, as new challenges and pressures on our environment arise.

Trees For Life remains as important and, perhaps, even more relevant than ever.

I suppose I can also say I’m proud of my longevity working at Trees For Life, and the various roles over that time.

In particular, I’d like to think I’ve had some small influence on the personal interest and development of staff members and volunteers who I’ve worked with.

I was the 2017 SA Landcare Award Winner–Australian Government Individual Landcare Award, after being nominated by work colleagues. I was probably more rapt that someone I worked with put the time and effort into nominating me than actually winning the award.

Sam Buxton Stewart – Field Officer, Bush For Life I was lucky enough to see an admin job advertised through uni in 2007, when I was in the last year of an Environmental Management degree.

I knew Trees For Life aligned with my values because I had done a small bit of volunteer work already, (with Alan Dandie on his Windy Point site, think I lasted two days!), so I applied and got that job straight from uni. This led to many other roles; Volunteer Support in the Bush For Life program, Bush Action Team Supervisor and Regional Coordinator in the City of Mitcham.

It makes me feel very humbled to know that so many people in our community care enough about the environment, and put their trust in Trees For Life and us as staff, to drive environmental change for 40 years.

The organisation has grown in leaps and bounds, not just in numbers

but in the range of environmental programs that we offer, and that never would have happened without the volunteers that participate in onground activities and the members, donors and sponsors that support us financially.

It isn’t an achievement of mine, but I take great pride in seeing the huge change that volunteers have achieved on Bush For Life sites in the City of Mitcham. Volunteers have worked on some of these grey box grassy woodland regenerated sites for almost 30 years (some by the same group of volunteers), and the improvements in the native biodiversity have been astounding.

Our organisation couldn’t achieve what we do without our dedicated and passionate volunteers.

LEFT: Peter Watton helps out at our Annual Garden Plant Sale.

ABOVE: Sam Buxton Stewart (back) with Trees For Life volunteer Mary Taylor (front).

16

HOME GROWN STORIES

s r o s n o p s r u o From Ahrens Since Ahrens’ first tree planting day at Kingsford back in 2009, our team is proud to have cultivated a long-standing relationship with Trees For Life.

This partnership has allowed Ahrens to plant thousands of trees over the last decade as part of our staff tree planting days, and formed a part of our ongoing commitment to supporting a sustainable future and minimising our own carbon footprint. Aligned in our vision for raising awareness about nature, empowering people to take action and safeguarding the land we love for future generations, the Ahrens team has witnessed the incredible organisation flourish, soaring from strength to strength, and we are certain they will continue to create lasting change in the many years to come.

We extend a big Happy 40th Birthday and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

First Paige Form 1 First Paige Form 1 and Property Settlement Services is a family owned business and we have been supporting the Trees For Habitat program since we started in 2018. All of our property owners love to receive a Trees For Life certificate to say thank you for helping us care for the environment. First Paige Form 1 and Property Settlement Services is a paperless business and we assist all of our clients to promote paperless transactions, saving one tree at a time. Thank you Trees For Life for all of your hard work and Happy Birthday!

ElectraNet

Arborgreen

ElectraNet and Trees For Life have grown together across the South Australian landscape and we are proud to be associated with such a trusted and wellknown environmental organisation.

We proudly support the communities in which we operate and value our landholder relationships, respecting both the natural and cultural environments.

Our partnership with Trees For Life has allowed our landholders to access vegetation through our native seedling subsidy scheme, and our employees have benefited through volunteering opportunities and planting out their own yards through the native six pack promotions.

Congratulations on your 40 year celebration and we look forward to seeing you grow in the future.

Arborgreen have been proudly supporting Trees For Life with custom-printed Mallee Fluted Seedling Guards which are used for TFL planting projects. Over the years, Trees For Life has assisted Arborgreen in the development of our Mallee Mesh paddock tree guard range, trialling these guards as part of their 'Paddock Tree Project'. Our paddock tree guards are highly effective in helping landowners, farmers, and Landcare groups protect newly planted trees from grazing animals. We wish Trees For Life a Happy 40th Anniversary!

17

SA Power Networks Congratulations to Trees For Life on 40 years of regreening the South Australian landscape. As the state's electricity distributor, SA Power Networks plays a vital role in the transition to a low carbon economy, but we are also very active across a range of sustainability issues, including preserving South Australia’s biodiversity. We have a long history of partnering with organisations like Trees For Life to enable our business and the communities we serve to become greener, healthier and more resilient.

Our partnership with Trees For Life will become even more important as we strive for a netpositive impact on biodiversity, one of the objectives of our Sustainability Strategy.

- Rob Stobbe, CEO, SA Power Networks

Alfred James Congratulations on 40 years of work safeguarding South Australia’s biodiversity and your contributions to the environment.

Trees For Life and Alfred James Funeral Homes have been in partnership for over 25 years – an enduring relationship that has resulted in nearly 55,000 trees being planted as memory trees for families who have been served by Alfred James Funeral Homes. We are proud to be part of the Trees For Life family. The Memory Tree Program is appreciated by our clients and is a lasting tribute to their loved one. Many thanks to staff and all the volunteers who have helped contribute to such a wonderful organisation over the last 40 years. Best wishes for the future and we look forward to continuing the Memory Tree Program.

Earth Greetings Supporting Trees For Life fits perfectly with our purpose at Earth Greetings – to contribute toward a brighter future for wildlife and our planet. We are delighted to know that, through our donations since 2008, we have directly enabled Trees For Life to plant over 50,000 native tree seedlings.

Trees that will restore food, shelter and nesting habitats for native wildlife, restore biodiversity and help to mitigate climate change. We look forward to continuing our support and growing alongside Trees For Life to help restore the land we love.

Statewide Super

Viterra

Statewide Super is a proud supporter of Trees For Life and would like to congratulate all the wonderful staff and volunteers on their dedication to conservation in our beautiful state of South Australia. Your efforts over the last 40 years have been vital in protecting habitats for native species and will help to ensure local communities and our members will continue to enjoy and appreciate native landscapes for many years to come.

Viterra is pleased to have worked with Trees For Life on projects to help local communities with longer term bushfire recovery efforts and re-establishment of native vegetation.

- The Alfred James Team

18

TOP: Heide (left) and Rebecca (third from

left) from Earth Greetings with Natasha (second from left) and Flora (right) at our Westwood Nursery.

SIDE BY SIDE WE DID IT!

The last year has seen staff, volunteers and landholders work side by side to help heal our landscapes from the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/20. It’s been a mission of optimism, camaraderie and helping each other, and the land, to heal.

IMAGES FROM TOP:

Bushfire Recovery Planting Day volunteers with Trees For Life staff.

Mark and Jen Vella were very grateful for the help with planting on their bushfire affected property in the Adelaide Hills.

19

We thought it would be fitting to share the stories of those involved and what this experience has meant to them: “Seeing the damage to our established tree breaks and young planted trees was heartbreaking. There were lots of old trees that were burnt that have never recovered which is heartbreaking. The volunteers and staff from Trees For Life were fantastic to deal with and extremely helpful, the growers did an amazing job and the trees were big and healthy. Without their help this would have taken us weeks to plant and guard all the trees.”

Mark and Jen Vella, landholder “The availability of half priced plants and guards/stakes due the Viterra partnership with Trees For Life was such a help in getting plants back in the ground so quickly. We were also fortunate to be recipients of plants donated through other initiatives. The pasture recovered well in some places, but we have had to spray out and re-sow more than half of the property due to the prevalence of nutgrass after the fire. We have undertaken soil analysis and, as a result, have put out further applications of lime and fertiliser. We hope to get back to good pasture coverage by the spring of this year. In 2021, we have had the pleasure of hosting the Trees For Life team and 23 volunteers, who have assisted in putting out 350 more shelter belt and paddock plants which are a mix of Trees For Life purchased and Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board donated."

Janine Croser, landholder

W

hen the world witnessed the devastation we were inundated with offers of help; “What can we do?”, “What do you need?”

Or people putting their hands up and saying “I am here to help”. The desire to help restore, recover and revive the damaged land was now more important than ever. Through our supporters, volunteers, donors, members, sponsors and staff we’ve been able to fully embrace and enact our mantra of taking action for the land you love.

This has resulted in the nurturing and growth of 19,765 plants for bushfire recovery efforts across the Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island, Avenue Range/Lucindale and Yorke Peninsula.

What shines through from the recovery efforts is an opportunity for growth and new life and a chance for the community to help a total stranger.

“The memory of the terrible bushfires that occurred in late 2019 and early 2020 are still fresh. The opportunity to contribute to regeneration of our land is something I feel passionately about.

Thankfully the bushfires were not close to where I live and work but I had friends who were impacted. Thankfully they didn’t lose anything in the fire but were on alert.

It’s a very humbling experience when you see the blackened land and talk to a landowner who recalls their experiences of the bushfire. I feel particular loss for the flora and fauna diversity that was wiped out, some of which may never come back.

This was my first time planting but it certainly won’t be my last!”

Tim Kinchington, volunteer “I can't fight fires, or rebuild homes, but I can garden and plant trees, so by helping to revegetate our bushfire-scarred landscape at least I can contribute to rebuilding my community and our precious local environment.

Replanting not only helps restore our landscape, amenity, water quality, biodiversity and help to store carbon, it also helps restore hope in those landowners affected by the fires, by showing them that we care and that they are not alone.”

Kathy Burroughes, volunteer We would like to acknowledge our donors, volunteers and sponsors for making this possible. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have such generous support from both at home and overseas.

20

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT TREES FOR LIFE? END OF YEAR PARTY

NURSERY SUMMER SOWN ORDERS Australian native seedlings love summer. That means it’s the main growing period for our Westwood Nursery, which raises up to 200 different native plant species every year to help landholders, local government and conservation groups meet their revegetation goals. We grow herbs, grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees from across the state, helping South Australians create homes for native creatures and bring landscapes to life. If you’re not sure where to start, the nursery team would love to share expert advice on species selection. Our years of experience and specialist knowledge mean we can suggest the perfect plant for your project or property. We’re also able to grow rare and threatened species for projects.

We’ll collect seed and cuttings suitable to your local provenance, or will collect seed from your own property by request, at cost. Have a chat to our friendly team and see what we can do to help. We grow a minimum of 50 seedlings to order at a very competitive price. The deadline for summer sown orders is Tuesday 30 November. Please get in touch earlier if you have specialist provenance requirements.

THANK YOU TREE AWARDS Nominations for our Thank You Tree Awards are now open and we encourage you to nominate a fellow member or volunteer to recognise their outstanding contribution to Trees For Life. For more information and to download a nomination form please visit our website: treesforlife.org.au/latest-news. You can also call us on 8406 0500, or email info@treesforlife.org.au to receive a nomination form.

Nominations close Friday 29 October.

21

You’re invited to celebrate our 40th Anniversary and the contribution and achievements of our Trees For Life community. This year’s event will be held at the Thebarton Community Centre on Wednesday 8 December, 5.30 to 7.30 pm. Please RSVP by 3 December. Gold Member and Thank You Tree Awards will be presented on the night.

Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 restrictions, this event may be subject to change.

Please check closer to the date by calling our office or checking for updates on our website and Facebook page.

VOLUNTEER GROWING GEAR Most depots will open their gates on Sunday 14 November, 10.00 am to 12.00 pm this year for Tree Scheme volunteer growers to collect everything they need to raise native seedlings. If you’ve registered to grow and haven’t heard from us by early October, give us a call.

BUSH FOR LIFE EVENTS

WHAT'S ON Biodiversity Month

September

Annual General Meeting (online)

14 October

Thank You Tree Award Nominations

Close 29 October

End of Year Party

8 December

Please keep an eye on our website as we update our calendar for events at treesforlife.org.au/join-a-team.

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer on one of our Bush For Life sites, or would like to learn more about managing your own bushland, come along to a Bushcare Workshop (see dates below).

BUSHCARE WORKSHOPS

TREE SCHEME AND NURSERY Nursery Summer Seedling Orders

1 September – 30 November

Showing native garden plants at their best workshop, Westwood Nursery Nature Festival event, register at www.naturefestival.org.au

2 October

Volunteer Grower Workshops Registered growers only, bookings essential

21 October – 6 November

Materials Collection Day for Tree Scheme Growers

Sunday 14 November *dates may change across depots, check your grower letter for details

Eden Hills

Tuesday 14 September

Elizabeth

Friday 8 October

Burnside

Tuesday 26 October

Pt Noarlunga

Saturday 13 November

BUSH ACTION TEAM DAYS

Continue your story

BY LEAVING A GIFT IN YOUR WILL

Scan here for more information

Currency Creek

Friday 1 October

Williamstown

Tuesday 5 October

Dingabledinga

Thursday 7 October

Blackwood

Saturday 9 October

Bridgewater

Wednesday 13 October

Waitpinga

Friday 15 October

Banksia Park

Tuesday 19 October

Finniss

Thursday 21 October

Auldana

Saturday 23 October

Port Noarlunga

Wednesday 27 October

Cherry Gardens

Friday 29 October

Happy Valley

Tuesday 2 November

Greenhill

Thursday 4 November

Aberfoyle Park

Saturday 6 November

Waitpinga

Wednesday 10 November

Belair

Friday 12 November

Eden Hills

Tuesday 16 November

Clarendon

Thursday 18 November

Mount Barker Summit

Saturday 20 November

Lonsdale

Wednesday 24 November

Blackwood

Friday 26 November

Lonsdale

Tuesday 30 November

Fairview Park

Thursday 2 December

Belair

Saturday 4 December

Eden Hills

Wednesday 8 December

Pasadena

Friday 10 December

Hillbank

Tuesday 14 December

Woodcroft

Thursday 16 December

Hillbank

Tuesday 21 December

COVID-19 NOTICE: Due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 restrictions, please check the advertised dates closer to the event by calling our office or checking for updates on our website and Facebook page.

22

THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS…

South Australian Government entities not shown above include the Department for Environment and Water.

5 May Terrace Brooklyn Park SA 5032 08 8406 0500 info@treesforlife.org.au treesforlife.org.au @treesforlifesa #treesforlifesa