August Newsletter

We have been working with some iconic trees in Melbourne: One, a European olive tree (Olea europaea) that’s more than 150 years old yet still carving out an existence in the concrete jungle of Melbourne’s CBD; and the other, a giant Moreton Bay fig tree (Ficus macrophylla), also more than 100 years old, that resides in the Melbourne Zoo. Massive and magnificent! These trees play a critical role in making our city a more attractive place. Both trees are being prodded and probed by HydroTerra, to determine how much water they are consuming and whether they are receiving enough water.

I find it interesting to see the passion people have for trees and how their value to us is increasing as their numbers decrease.  It is also interesting to see how little we still know about such plants.

Both “our trees” are members of an elite plant community that’s listed on The City of Melbourne’s ‘Exceptional Tree Register‘, which includes a total of 279 trees from across the municipality. The register offers the opportunity to recognise, celebrate and protect the exceptional trees in Melbourne city that exist on land not owned or managed by the City of Melbourne. Pictured is a Sequoia that we are also currently monitoring for the Melbourne Zoo.

There’s no doubting trees hold a special place in all our hearts. I note the ABC has been running a public poll for Australia’s favourite native tree. The winner is being announced tomorrow. As Katrina Mayer said “Time spent amongst trees is never wasted time.”

Richard