EarthCredit carries out large-scale revegetation of degraded farmlands. The EarthCredit Plant-a-TreeProgram allows organizations to actively support this vital work by funding the planting of mixed native species in the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor.

Woodlands and forests play a crucial role in cleaning and cooling the air. The many gifts provided to humanity include acting as natural water pumps to reduce dry land soil salinity. These green pockets reduce erosion from wind and water, recycle nutrients for agriculture and support habitats for wildlife. Their Plant-a-Tree Program aims to restore landscapes and reproduce natural ecosystems as best we can. So far, EarthCredit has planted 440,000 trees, restoring more than 300ha of cleared land.

The Plant-a-Tree Program aims to restore landscapes and reproduce natural ecosystems.

A Global Biodiversity Hotspot

Their plantings are in the northern wheat belt region of Southwest Australia, significantly one of only 36 global biodiversity hotspots. These are regions that have an exceptionally high number of plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. The biodiversity hotspot label recognizes that these plants, animals and ecosystems are at extreme risk of destruction.

The Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor

The area along the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor was once vibrant with expansive woodlands of York gum and Salmon gum trees. But from the early1900s europeans have cleared more than 97% of

the vegetation so they could farm. Now, parts of the landscape are not suitable for traditional agriculture due to problem soils that are increasingly uneconomic tofarm in a drying climate.

The Plant-A-Tree Program is part of a plan to eventually link small patches of remaining vegetation and 12 nature reserves to create a green corridor.

Our trees and shrubs are thriving and we’re helping re-invigorate local communities. Revegetation work supports local businesses and employs local people, including workers from Aboriginal communities.Activities such as sandalwood production and beekeeping are being developed to complement the planting and there are plans for bush tucker and eco-cultural tourism industries.

Creating Wildlife Habitats

In the small patches of vegetation that had survived the 20th century land clearing there is an amazing richness and diversity of plant and animal species. In2014, in just two weeks of wildlife survey monitoring more than 450 species of flora, insects and birds were identified. This included 13 bird species of conservation significance as well as threatened species such as Malleefowl, Bush Stone-curlew, Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo, Western Spiny-tailed Skink and the Woylie (Brush-tailed Bettong), as well as 30 species of conservation-significant native plants.

Delivering for Global Carbon Neutral Goals

This Plant-a-Tree Program directly contributes to the following United Nations’ Sustainable Development Global Goals criteria:

1. Take urgent action to combat climate change and all its impacts.

2. Protect, restore and promote sustainably managed forests combat desertification, halt and reverse land degredation and biodiversity loss.

3. Promote sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

The PLANT-A-TREE Project in More Detail

Climate Change

Plantings are in a Mediterranean climate with average annual rainfall of around 350mm. Though climate change means reducing rainfall, the Mid West region of WA benefits from more valuable summer rainfall through low pressure tropical rain-bearing depressions from January through to April.

Management, Including Fire

The EarthCredit group maintains overall management. This includes health monitoring and fire control measures. Our fire management plan includes using sheep to graze between plantings to cut fire risk.

Legal Protection

The trees are planted on land owned by entities associated with EarthCredit Trees are legally protected for 100 years by a Carbon Right and a Carbon Covenant.

Monitoring & Reporting

The site is independently monitored for health and survival and reports are posted on the EarthCredit's website. Each tree sold is given a unique serial number which is recorded on the buyer’s receipt.

Planting Method

EarthCredit has developed a pioneering approach to direct-seeding. Our method encompasses provenance seed collection, seed pre-treatment (to break the dormancy of endemic native seeds), equipment design and modification to control weeds and harvest water. All this significantly cuts planting establishment costs per stem causes faster planting over larger areas and greater diversity, survival and growth rates. As a result, the scale of biodiverse reforestation planting has grown substantially with 66native tree and shrub species established.

The resulting plant density is highly variable across sites. Due to a relatively high ratio of mixed Acacia species, the Plant-a-Tree Program adopts a conservative maximum plant density allocation of 1,650stems per hectare.

Carbon Sequestration

Trees (and shrubs) planted do sequester carbon but carbon will not be measured therefore Plant-a-Tree is not a carbon offsets product. For a rough ‘rule of thumb’ it is estimated 10-15 trees (and shrubs) will sequester 1 tonne of CO2-e over 30 years.

Supporting The Plant-A-Tree Project

Over 100 of our business clients have contributed to the reforestation of the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor through Plant-a-Tree in the past two years.

Tree planting is a pro-active statement that is recognized instantly by stakeholders.

Organizations can promote their green credentials and give back’ to the climate and the environment.

SavinGreen has planted over 64,000 trees.“Planting a tree is so much more than just that.One mature tree will support two humans for a lifetime while assisting to remove toxins such as carbon dioxide from our atmosphere as well as creating habitat and food for our native wildlife” Dr E Sigston

Quality Printers & Cartridges

“We have planted over 17,000 trees on behalf of our customers which are likely to capture and store over 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over their lifetime”....“Planting trees...has two major benefits in that it sequesters carbon and helps revegetate rural Australia. This will help to ensure a healthy environment for future generations of Australians.