“The way to look after Australian wilderness and wildlife is to work with the communities. They’re the heroes of this piece. They’re the ones who do the work.”
– Ian Darbyshire, CEO Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife.
Almanac started on a sunny day in November. We woke early to deliver a box of notebooks to our friends at Secret Book Stuff, our first wholesalers, and then headed to the park to celebrate Finley’s first birthday. It wasn’t an accident that we started our company on our daughter’s birthday. Almanac was born from a desire to make the world better for our daughter. To sell quality recycled paper goods, and to plant trees.
A few months later, our country was devastated by a series of bushfires, and we became determined to be part of the recovery efforts. Whenever you purchased a notebook, a sleeve, or a greeting card, we planted a tree in a reforestation area, largely on the south coast of NSW.
Today, I’m so happy to tell you that together we have planted 1000 trees since Almanac began!
We’re often asked how the tree planting works, and this seems like a perfect opportunity to answer all your questions and get into the nitty-gritty of planting trees.
Here’s how it works:
You buy an Almanac, we send funds to One Tree Planted
We chose One Tree Planted as a partner organisation because they are committed to working with local community groups to plant native trees in rehabilitation areas. They understand that the best way to ensure the long-term protection of reforestation areas is invest in the people who live there.
In Australia, One Tree Planted partners with the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, and Greening Australia.
“The Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife are working with One Tree Planted on launching Bushfire Recovery Nurseries around Australia to replace the loss of the 2019-2020 bushfires. We’re looking to plant over a million trees over the next five years to replant and replace vegetation that was lost.”
– Ian Darbyshire, CEO Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife
Bushfire Recovery Nurseries
One Tree Planted and their local partners have started three Bushfire Recovery Nurseries in the Blue Mountains, Canberra, and Yankalilla, South Australia, where your trees will be grown from seeds. Each nursery is run by local community groups and has the capacity of growing 40,000-160,000 native trees.
“It’s also a project that focuses on engaging communities that have been impacted by bushfires. We have a really amazing network of environmental and community organisations that are doing really great work in this space. So, to be able to put all of that amazing research and those skills to work is a really exciting opportunity.”
– Beth Dagleish, Ecosystem Director, One Tree Planted
Your trees are planted
When the seedlings are ready, they are then planted and cared for by local volunteers in bushfire affected regions. Because these groups are local to the area, they know the importance of long-term investment. Native plants and local communities are the keys to long-term rehabilitation success.
“Our volunteers come from many different age groups and backgrounds. Lots of them have actually been coming for more than 20 years.”
– Maryanne Bailey, Senior Program Officer, Greening Australia
1000 trees to 1 million trees
Together, you and Almanac have planted 1000 trees. That’s an amazing achievement, but it’s small compared to the need. That’s why we, and hundreds of other businesses like ours, are planting trees with One Tree Planted and the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, who aim to plant over a million trees over the next few years.
On our own, we can make a difference. Together, we can change the world.
“We’re building parks and protecting species for the future generations of Australia.”
– Ian Darbyshire, CEO Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife
That Almanac sitting on your desk right now represents one sapling growing in a nursery, or freshly planted and cared for by a team of devoted tree planters. It represents land regenerated, habitats restored.
With your Almanac, you’re supporting communities, growing a forest, and preserving Australia’s wilderness areas for future generations.