Our story
TreeProject gets urban and rural communities working together to put trees back on the land. Our network of trained volunteers grows indigenous seedlings for rural landholders and Landcare groups who need our help with revegetation.
“We have had a long and successful involvement with Tree Project and love receiving the tube stock to be planted in our project areas. The success rate of our plantings are fantastic and I would, on a personal note, like to thank all of those involved in such a worthy endeavour.”
– Hayley Goodman, Deep Creek Landcare Group
Working together, we are restoring urgently needed indigenous vegetation and repairing Victoria’s damaged ecosystems. Our volunteers contribute their time and hard work to propagate and care for seedlings of Indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses in their own backyards.
For landholders, being able to access ‘at-cost’ seedlings from TreeProject is often all the incentive and encouragement they need to start restoring degraded areas.
What we do
- Train volunteers to propagate indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses
- Support landholders to repair degraded land by providing at-cost indigenous plants
- Link city and country people to work together to tackle erosion, improve soil and water quality, and restore ecosystems
- Provide training and support for anyone in the community growing indigenous seedlings
- Develop skills and knowledge – building capacity in the community – for propagating Indigenous seedlings
- Foster community engagement through practical, achievable and enduring environmental projects
- Provide special project support through The TreeProject Nursery
- Raise awareness of the importance of revegetation
Seedling database
Our Seedling Database has images of the seed for each species and the seedling at 4 different stages of growth to 6 months. This resource is unique and has images that do not exist anywhere on the internet and encourages the community to make contributions.
Where it all began
The idea for TreeProject developed when two friends, Maggie McLeod and Belinda Gross, were discussing the many ailments afflicting our environment. Whatever travesty against the environment came up in their discussions, one central solution kept coming up: planting trees. Then and there, Maggie McLeod made a commitment to plant 1 million trees.
Through this pledge TreeProject was conceived. By early 1989, TreeProject officially became a community-based not for profit organisation launching its first public planting event at Yarra Bend Park.
“We knew we were on to something with identifying trees as a solution when over 700 people came and 5000 plants were in the ground before lunch time!” said Maggie.
“Within 15 years our goal of 1 million seedlings was met, thanks to the support and commitment of our volunteers.”
Since 1989 TreeProject has sown 2 million trees.
“There must be a quantum leap in local micro fauna and bird life in the district. Our district had very little remnant vegetation left; it was only ever lightly timbered. The corridor went through 10 family properties and stretched about 8 km long. It connected at both ends with treed creek lines and roadside vegetation. Tree Project provided many thousands of trees over the next 5–6 years and sometimes the growers themselves at planting. The tree planting day became an annual community event involving all the families and often volunteers from Melbourne. The over catered BBQ’s and frivolities were always the norm however the weather could never be relied on!!”
“There was a very interesting spin off to the project. Many of the farmers began planting trees in earnest over their own properties, linking them with the corridor to create a web over their properties. One family who previously thought a Cyprus tree was the only tree to grow, got so involved, they began their own native nursery to supply the district! Now eighteen years on the Stoneleigh Corridor is well grown and stands out as a feature. One would expect that there must be a quantum leap in local micro fauna and bird life in the district as a result. The young children that helped plant those trees are now adults and in time can show their children what they achieved.“
– Ian Waller, landholder, National trust property Mooramong