Decade of hard work marked with planting, cake

THE Torquay Landcare Group and Quiksilver have celebrated a decade of working together with a busy morning of planting, followed by cake.

About 60 staff from the surf label’s Torquay head office and store joined another 10 Landcare volunteers and members of the community for the works along the eastern side of Spring Creek, north of Spring Creek Reserve.

Torquay Landcare Group president Margot Galletly said the plants being put in were all species native to Spring Creek or close to it, grown from seeds collected by Graeme Stockton.

Former Quiksilver employee Laura Underwood, who came back to join her former workmates just for the day, said Quiksilver had been working with Torquay Landcare for 10 years and along Spring Creek – a short walk from the head office – for five years.

“It’s really exciting to see the difference that we’ve made, especially because it’s in our own backyard.

“It’s great having all the kids along too, so hopefully you guys can see that a difference can be made and get out here with your mates in the next school holidays, get your hands dirty and plant some trees.”

Ms Galletly said Landcare would not be able to do anything that it tried to do without the support of groups such as the Quiksilver Foundation.

“We rely on grant money and donations and so on to keep ourselves afloat and so we wouldn’t be able to participate in any of this if it wasn’t for that support, so we’re enormously grateful.

“I love these days, and what a different dimension it’s had since we’ve had children coming too, so it’s fabulous to have the kids on board and hopefully we’ll leave them a lovely legacy for the future.”