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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 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 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Lyndall Tayler

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.

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.

Anne Kirk

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”.