Students Taking Action

Friends Fundraise For 90 Trees

 Friends with a passion for the environment talk about the perks of raising money for a cause close to their heart.

When great friends Frankie, Edith, Nora, Cormac and Clotilde got together on a chilly Melbourne morning over the school holidays, it was for a very different kind of fun than their usual holiday catchups to raise money for a cause close to their heart.

For a long time, the group of friends – ranging in age from 7-11 years old - had been looking at how they could take positive action to support the environment. 

Their wish was simple: to do something positive to help the koalas, birds, and other native species they love and passionately want to protect.

“We did a unit of inquiry at school about Natural Disasters.,” said Edith. “We talked a lot about bushfires, and it made me really sad realizing how many animals suffered and how much of their habitat was destroyed.” 

Frankie shares the same passion: “I’ love animals and I’ve always wanted to do something to help the environment. We just didn’t know how to start.”

Young environmentalists face a challenge: Unlike the well-organised sports activities for junior sports enthusiasts, young environmentalists have to look harder to find an outlet for their passion. So when an action-oriented, environmental cause said they had a way to help the group, they were all ears:

15 trees are an organization that supports Australian revegetation through tree-planting projects throughout Australia. They’re all about planting more native trees, particularly in wildlife corridors throughout Victoria, so that more wildlife can access the habitat and protection they need to thrive. 

 When 15 trees found out about the kids’ passion for protecting wildlife, they came to the party with a call to action the kids could relate to:

“Plant more trees to reduce your carbon footprint and walk a little more gently on the planet….”

The group, who call themselves the “Bayside Green Team” had an initial aim to raise enough to meet the 15 trees goals: or $75. 

Or, as the friends said many times to passers-by in their local shopping strip:

“A dollar makes a difference. But $5 buys a tree.”

In the end, they raised $450, many times their expectations. 

Apart from their delight at such a successful few hours, they also got some interesting insights into their community along the way:

“Many people stopped to talk and told us about their stories about tree planting and animal helping,” said Cormac.

One donation in particular made an impression with the group when a boy who was just a few years older than themselves, stopped by to find out more and ended up handing over his $20 in pocket money, saying: “Keep the change!”

For the youngest two of the group, Clotilde and Nora, staying warm and snacking were an important highlight:

“My favourite part of the day was eating snacks like hot chips and handing over postcards when people asked for more information,” said Clotilde.  

The kids were really proud and happy to learn their efforts mean 80 trees will be planted by the Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation this Spring.

What a team!

You can find out more at www.15trees.com.au