15 million trees and counting: Here’s how Trillion Trees is healing WA’s landscape

Volunteering WA member Trillion Trees Australia is a restoration charity healing landscapes and building communities through their love of trees, underpinned by the high-quality plants grown at their community nursery and driven by their dedicated personnel.

Trillion Trees Australia was founded as part of a worldwide movement, led by the world’s first ‘global environmentalist’ Richard St Barbe Baker. Trillion Trees Australia began as Men of the Trees in WA in 1979 before the name was changed to Trillion Trees Australia in 2017. This new name was championed by their late president, Thom Scott, inspired by a study that suggested there is space on the planet to plant one trillion more trees, without encroaching onto urban areas or agricultural land.

Volunteering WA caught up with Sophia from Trillion Trees to discuss volunteer roles at the organisation, successes, and much more.

What’s one thing people might not realise about the importance of tree planting?
Sophia: Our Perth Metro restoration projects are focused on the restoration of wetlands and the riparian zones which border them. Many people do not realise that wetlands absorb carbon at a much higher rate than forests, making them critical tools in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

What does volunteering with Trillion Trees involve?
Volunteering with Trillion Trees is a great way to make a real difference in the restoration of natural ecosystems in Australia. From growing the plants in our community nursery, planting at restoration sites, recycling and washing pots, environmental education and grounds and maintenance, there is a whole range of ways for people to contribute to our mission to empower people to take tangible action against the impacts of climate change.

Are there any particular volunteers whose contributions have made a significant impact?
Alan Benn is a retired engineer who has volunteered with Trillion Trees for over 20 years. He is passionate about the environment and volunteers in our community nursery several times per week and assists with all aspects of growing native plants and trees. This includes irrigation repairs, planting seeds and propagating from cuttings, assisting with pest management and troubleshooting germination issues. In 2024 he also joined the Trillion Trees Board.

Alan’s contribution to our community nursery is invaluable and his contributions have helped us plant many thousands of native plants and trees over the years!

What’s one recent success/achievement you’re proud of?

We have recently launched two projects at our Hazelmere site to engage our volunteers and the public in sustainable living practices and environmental awareness. Under the guidance of a permaculture consultant our volunteers are building new composting waste management system to reuse our old soil and plant material from the nursery.

We are also building an educational wetlands display for members of the public to see an example of different wetlands species they can introduce into their own gardens to provide habitat for native frogs, turtles and insects.

How has being a Volunteering WA member helped Trillion Trees succeed

Being a member of Volunteering WA helps us reach a broader section of the community and recruit new volunteers who may not have overwise heard of our organisation. It also helps us stay engaged with the volunteering sector and stay up-to-date with the latest volunteering news (such as the National Strategy for Volunteering).

How has the volunteer program grown or changed over the years?
Volunteers are the backbone of our organisation, supporting our small staff team to deliver our mission. Trillion Trees was founded by passionate volunteers in 1979 and continues to rely upon the generous gift of time from a range of committed individuals.

Current regular volunteers number approximately 20 per day, with some volunteers attending on multiple days per week. There has been a steady increase in volunteering applications in the last few months, with 14 new volunteers inducted into the community nursery in November and December. We are keenly focused on growing our volunteer team, which is getting stronger and more diverse.

Like all volunteer-based organisations, Trillion Trees has faced challenges with the recruitment and retention of skilled and dedicated volunteers for weekday activities in our grounds and community nursery. One off volunteering opportunities for our community planting days, held on some weekends in winter, are always oversubscribed and require us to operate a waitlist.

We are always mindful that family, work and study commitments, along with health challenges, can impact the availability of our regular community volunteers. Volunteer education through workshops, talks and visits is a growing part of our volunteer program, which aims to enrich the volunteering experience for everyone and increase volunteer engagement.

Trillion Trees continues to go from strength to strength, and we look forward to seeing what they achieve next.