On Friday 13 May 2022, volunteers from Grace Group took part in a tree planting day with our charity partner Greenfleet, at Kinglake West in the Yarra Ranges Victoria. The land is traditionally owned by the Taungurung and Wurundjeri people. This site will provide habitat for a variety of native birds including Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, lyrebirds, King Parrots and colourful rosellas.
The tree planting day started with a traditional smoking ceremony and welcome to country speech by Aunty Joy, a local elder of the Wurundjeri people, the original custodians of the Yarra Ranges region. Grace volunteers planted eucalypt saplings and native ground cover across the day. Eucalypts play a vital role in a forest ecosystem by providing food sources for wildlife from their foliage, seeds, nectar and sap.
Andrew Wilson, Group eCommerce and Marketing Manager said, “It was such a rewarding process knowing that this reforested land is protected from disruption for at least 100 years.” “It is a great way for us to take steps towards achieving a more sustainable and prosperous future.” He added.
Following the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, Grace recognised the urgent need to take action on climate change and has partnered with Greenfleet to help protect our environment by creating a greener future through reforestation. Greenfleet is a non-for-profit environmental organisation who is on a mission to protect our climate by restoring our forests. They not only plant native biodiverse forests to offset carbon emission on behalf of individuals and businesses but also address critical deforestation, aims to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and restore habitat for local wildlife, including many endangered species. For over 20 years, they have planted more than 9.6 million native trees across Australia and New Zealand.
Grace expects to continue its partnership with Greenfleet into the future to protect Australia’s unique wildlife and native forests by reducing our fleet’s impact on the environment.
