Greenfleet news - Summer 2013

IN THIS ISSUE • From the CEO • Give a Gift that Grows this Christmas • News from our forests • 1 million reasons to celebrate with Telstra • Tips to avoid and reduce emissions over the holidays

News SUMMER EDITION 22 | JULY-NOVEMBER 2013

Photo: Chris White

8,378,000 NATIVE TREES PLANTED IN 390 AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSE FORESTS

From the CEO My first two months at Greenfleet have just flown by and I have learned much about Greenfleet’s approach to creating ecosystems through climate action.

While the carbon compliance market sorts itself out under a new government, the voluntary market for carbon offsets is bigger than ever. A report on the State of the Forest Carbon Markets worldwide released early this November found that voluntary offset buyers drove 95% of all market activity (27 MtCO2-e) and 92% of value ($198 million) across the world in 2012.

at Cardinia Creek with Parks Victoria and the Victorian Community Correctional Services. We are grateful for the support received from the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation who made this revegetation project possible, and I would also like to congratulate the team at Greenfleet for their great work with this unique project.

In this dynamic political environment, Greenfleet’s practical way of planting forests linked to personal and corporate carbon offsets is a clear message of much needed hope.

Last but not least, I visited some of our forests and saw for myself the fantastic difference your support is making on the ground. Much of our work is made possible by working with others and, of course, by your contributions. I would like to extend a big thank-you to you, our friends and supporters, for your commitment and dedication to address climate change and help us tackle this critical issue.

We are re-energising ourselves and intend to increase our work in both connecting to others who are implementing climate action, and also to those who are restoring our important native environments. I have met with many of our passionate supporters and had significant discussions with key stakeholders of our organisation.

In October, we had the pleasure to welcome Peter Castellas, CEO of the Carbon Market Institute, who gave a brilliant talk to our supporters on the current dynamic policy environment during a lunch kindly hosted at Baker & McKenzie in Melbourne.

I was also invited to Canberra as part of a Carbon Market Institute delegation to discuss the design of the Emissions Reduction Fund, the focus of the Australian Government’s Direct Action Plan.

More recently, Greenfleet was the proud recipient of a Community Work Partnership Award for our work

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Through the stories featured in this newsletter, you will see a snapshot of the past six months. Thanks to you we have been able to bring back native wildlife to a National Park destroyed by the 2009 bushfires, protect rare plant species and restore Australia’s unique biodiversity.

Thank you for your support in 2013 and I look forward to continuing our work together in 2014 – a year filled with exciting projects and amazing partners.

I am keen to hear from any of you – our loyal supporters and friends – so feel free to call us with ideas and approaches that you are keen for us to consider.

Warm regards,

Wayne Wescott | Greenfleet CEO Follow me on Twitter: @waynewescott

WILL YOU JOIN US IN RAISING $40,000 TO GROW 10,000 NATIVE TREES? It’s that time of year again when perhaps you are racking your brain for Christmas gift ideas. Fear no more, we have exactly what you are looking for: a gift with a “green” twist, a gift for the person who has everything, a gift to show you care, a gift that won’t end up in landfill, a gift that keeps on giving...

A GREENFLEET GIFT! Give a green gift that helps Australia’s environment by making a donation to Greenfleet in lieu of a traditional gift or Kris Kringle. It’s the gift that matters and makes a difference now and in the future.

It’s amazing the difference a simple donation can make.

A Greenfleet Gift will help re-generate more biodiverse forests which will provide essential food and habitat for native wildlife and capture carbon pollution from the atmosphere.

You can even choose to ask your friends and family for donations in lieu of gifts this year! Every donation will help grow our forest... literally!

Simply jump on our special Christmas website to give a gift that matters, ask for donations in lieu for gifts this year by creating your own online wish list or make a donation to help our forest grow.

Visit www.everydayhero.com.au/event/greenfleet-christmas2013

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Brisbane

NATIVE WILDLIFE RETURNS TO KINGLAKE NATIONAL PARK

‘Avoca’ x

Sydney

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Kinglake x

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Mitchell River Melbourne

During a wildlife survey in July 2013, the Rangers of the Park were delighted to find protected species moving back in the area thanks to our forest!

See the cover picture of a nesting box occupied by a cute family of Sugar Gliders.

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Tourello

Since 2010, we have been working with Parks Victoria on a bushfire recovery project in the Kinglake National Park. Over the years, we have revegetated 25ha to create a habitat link for native wildlife and help the little critters come back to the Park.

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A big thank you to all our wonderful supporters: it is thanks to you that we can share such amazing news!!

PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS BIODIVERSITY As you know, Greenfleet plants multi-species forests to restore and protect our unique Australian biodiversity.

This winter, we planted 65 specimens of the Hairy Anchor Plant as part of an in-fill planting at Tourello, one of our sites, 25 km north of Ballarat, Vic.

The Hairy Anchor Plant (Discaria pubescens) is a densely-branched, spiny shrub 0.5 to 2m high. The species formerly had a widespread distribution in all the eastern Australian states. It has not been recorded from Queensland since 1898 (Willis 1955) and is considered endangered in Tasmania (Coates 1991). In Victoria, the species is now restricted to small fragmented populations in the eastern highlands and to the west of Melbourne (Willis 1972, Beauglehole 1980)*.

This planting will assist the plant population and hopefully save it from extinction in Victoria.

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* Source: DSE, 2003

This extremely rare species is extinct in Queensland and threatened in Victoria. This site, managed by Parks Victoria, and a neighbouring private property are ones of the few areas where remnant individuals still survive.

OVER 2,200 KM SEEDED AT ‘AVOCA’ You may remember ‘Avoca’, Greenfleet’s new property in NSW from the last newsletter (edition 21 – July 2013).

After a very successful seeding trial in May, we have now completed the direct seeding on the site.

40 different locally native species, were sown across 900ha using the latest technology in the industry. A direct seeding machine was specifically engineered for this project, and completed the seeding of over 2,200km in a month.

The seeds are now germinating and benefitting from the moisture retained in the soil over winter.

Eoghan, the Greenfleet Forester managing this revegetation project said: “Upon a recent inspection, germination was observed across much of the site. This is an excellent result so early in the seeding process.

It is especially exciting given the dry and hot spring experienced in the area. With the recent rain assisting the present seedlings, further germination is expected over the coming year, with many of the seeds expected to germinate later in the season as per their species life cycle. We will be monitoring the site throughout next year and beyond and will report changes in the landscape as the seeding develops.”

144 HA REVEGETATED IN THE MITCHELL RIVER NATIONAL PARK, VIC In September we completed the third revegetation project at Mitchell River National Park in East Gippsland, Vic, with a further 57,500 native seedlings planted. Greenfleet worked closely with Parks Victoria on this project and a total of 144ha have now been revegetated by Greenfleet with a mix of over 30 different native species.

Thanks to our fantastic supporters, this forest will not only remove carbon from the atmosphere but also provide great ecological benefits such as increasing habitat for the native wildlife in the National Park as well as reducing sediment flowing into the Mitchell River and then onto the Gippsland Lakes.

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Restoring biodiversity in Queensland Habitat fragmentation is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. As native vegetation is cleared for rural or urban development, habitats which were once continuous become divided into separate fragments. Plants and wildlife become restricted to these isolated pockets of remnant vegetation, which disrupt the balance of the local ecosystem.

One of our challenges today is to create connectivity between these remnant patches of vegetation to restore and preserve our unique fauna and flora biodiversity.

In 2003, Greenfleet joined forces with Queensland Parks & Wildlife Services and private landholders to revegetate neighbouring properties on the western shore of Lake Cootharaba, near Noosa, QLD. On the north part lay Eland Plains. Previously used for grazing until 1975, the site was heavily infested with weeds which were preventing any natural regeneration. Adjoining in the south is Dangerbridge

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Farm, a formerly productive farm, which owners decided to return it to a natural forest with the help of Greenfleet.

Between 2003 and 2007, 70ha across the two properties were revegetated with a mix of 28 local species, such as Small Leaved Fig, Weeping Bottle Brush, Grey Sheoak, Forest Red Gum and Paperbarked Tea Tree.

Today, the forest is restoring the land, providing habitat and food to the native wildlife (such as wallabies, kangaroos or the highly endangered Coxes Fig Parrots), and naturally removing carbon from the atmosphere.

During our most recent monitoring visit, our Forester Eoghan measured some trees up to 25 metres in height, particularly Flooded Gums. This is as tall as a 7-storey building!

Birds and insects are also very active on the site and a large array of wildflowers is growing at ground level.

Some trees are reaching 25m in height in our 10-year old forest at Dangerbridge Farm, Qld.

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PARTNERING ON BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH Following the discovery of a new insect species in one of our forests last year by Associate Professor Martin Steinbauer, Greenfleet is partnering with La Trobe University to conduct a research project in our forests.

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1 MILLION REASONS...

... TO CELEBRATE

One million. That’s the number of trees Greenfleet has planted on behalf of Telstra since 2001.

For over 12 years and counting, Telstra has been contributing to Greenfleet by offsetting the emissions associated with its executive fleet.

Telstra’s goal is to set the standard for environmental performance in their industry. The company is committed to pursuing and achieving the highest standards in environmental management and practice.

Telstra is reducing its greenhouse emissions through a number of greenhouse abatement initiatives. These include the progressive replacement of petrol vehicles with LPG and common rail diesel vehicles, where viable, and of course, offsetting with Greenfleet.

To celebrate this very special milestone, Telstra joined Greenfleet in July for a commemorative planting day at Devilbend Reservoir Park, Vic. The day saw 20 Telstra staff volunteers plant an amazing 1,500 native seedlings in the ground, kicking off the 2013 planting season in the park.

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IS YOUR ORGANISATION COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

WELCOME TO OUR NEW CORPORATE SUPPORTERS

135 ORGANISATIONS RECOGNISED FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SUPPORT

If yes, do you have a Workplace Giving Program in place?

Greenfleet is actively engaged with many businesses and organisations in Australia which embrace corporate and social responsibility and want to make a positive difference to the environment today and for the future.

Everyone at Greenfleet would like to say a big thank-you to the organisations, big and small, which have been contributing continuously to Greenfleet over the years.

Workplace giving is a simple and effective way for employees to regularly donate to charities such as Greenfleet directly from their salaries.

For employers, it is a rewarding, low cost and low maintenance way to support the environment, whilst demonstrating your sustainability commitment to employees.

Studies have shown that workplace giving boosts staff morale and strengthens employee recruitment, loyalty and retention levels.

Here is a list of the organisations who have recently come on-board: • Arup Pty Ltd (NSW, QLD, Vic) • Atma Environmental • Blastech • City Water Technology • Complete Solid Plastering • Global Ballooning

From an employee point of view, workplace giving is a great and easy way to get involved with the community, knowing that your contributions make a real difference for the environment. It is hasslefree and reduces taxable income.

• Interflow

Thanks to regular donations, Greenfleet can effectively plan for new revegetation projects and restore more forests around Australia to capture carbon emissions.

• Sydney Metro Tree Services

Simply email us at marketing@greenfleet.com.au to get involved in the Greenfleet Workplace Giving Program.

Visit www.greenfleet.com.au for more supporters.

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• Landserv • OfficeMax • One Sustainability Services • Salvation Army Employment Plus • The Great Outdoor Gym Company • UCA Funds Management • Universal Power & Light

To celebrate their long-term commitment, we introduced two new awards this year: the Greenfleet Honours Award and the Greenfleet Huon Award.

The Greenfleet Honours Award rewards supporters who have been consistently offsetting emissions with Greenfleet for 10 years and over. Have a look on the next page at some of the longest-standing corporate supporters of Greenfleet.

The Greenfleet Huon Award, named in honour of the Huon Pine tree - Australia’s oldest living tree recognises Greenfleet supporters who have consistently offset emissions for five years and over.

To date 20 organisations have received the Greenfleet Honours Award and 115 have received the Greenfleet Huon Award.

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF 10 YEARS AND OVER...

Visit greenfleet.com.au for more supporters.

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tips

8 TIPS TO AVOID AND REDUCE EMISSIONS

The holidays are upon us and, with the festivities, often come an increase in the amount of emissions that we all produce in our homes. There are however many ways to enjoy ‘greener’ holidays.

CONTACT GREENFLEET

Here are eight tips to make your holidays a little more eco-friendly:

Postal address: PO Box 16011 Collins Street West VIC 8007

• Minimise your car use. Ride your bike, take public transport, carpool with a friend, or walk when you go shopping or to holiday parties. Not only does it reduce your footprint but also the hassle of getting stuck in the holiday traffic!

• According to the Australia Institute, Australians spend $750 million every year on unwanted presents. Imagine the associated amount of waste. If you’re not sure what to give, why not put the money towards a worthwhile cause? Check our website (www.greenfleet.com.au) to give a gift that grows and doesn’t generate any waste!

• Decorate with energy efficient lights, like LED strings, rather than the larger, old fashioned lights. LEDs are exceptionally energy efficient, many using up to 90% less energy than an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light.

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• Turn off or unplug holiday lights during the day. Doing so will not only save energy, but will also help your lights last longer.

Email: info@greenfleet.com.au

• If you host a party, set the table with cloth napkins and reusable dishes, glasses, and silverware, rather than their throw-away counterparts.

Keep up to date

• When shopping for your festive meal, consider buying locally produced food to reduce the “food miles” of your feast.

• Compost leftover food scraps, and turn waste into the gardener’s favourite “black gold”! If you do not have a composting system, you can probably drop off your food scrap in the compost pile of a community garden nearby.

• Donate older toys that your family no longer uses to charities.

Web: www.greenfleet.com.au Phone: 1800 032 999

facebook.com/ GreenfleetAustralia @GreenfleetAust

linkedin.com/company/ greenfleet

Thank you to Fishprint for donating the printing of this newsletter, using waterless offset technology and non-genetically modified soy ink, on 100% post-consumer recycled paper donated by B.J. Ball Papers.

www.fishprint.com.au

www.bjball.com.au