The Carman’s Trees for Bees Community Tree Grants program is providing a total of $10,000 to 20 community groups across eight states and territories, including schools, environmental organisations, Landcare groups, a kindergarten, a botanic garden, a cricket club, an RSL branch and an Aboriginal not-for-profit. 

The projects will plant about 2,200 trees and shrubs and bring together more than 12,600 community members to support pollinator habitat. 

Wheen Bee Foundation CEO Fiona Chambers said the response to this year’s grants showed the growing passion to create and support pollinator habitats across Australia.  

“This year we received a record 135 applications from across the country which is both wonderful and incredibly difficult,” Ms Chambers said. 

“The creativity and commitment shown by every applicant was remarkable. 

“While we couldn’t fund everyone, I look forward to seeing the successful projects deliver meaningful impact for pollinators and local communities.”  

Osborne State School, located 100 km south-east of Townsville, will plant native trees and shrubs to attract more native bees to the school grounds and surrounding area. The project brings together students, families and volunteers from the small rural community to improve habitat, soil health and air quality. 

Principal Cassandra Turnbull said the project offered a meaningful way to support biodiversity and engage the community in their heavily farmed region. 

“In Osborne we are surrounded by sugarcane monoculture, so creating a space that supports native pollinators is really something special,” Ms Turnbull said. 

“Plants and pollinators are at the heart of a healthy environment, and this project helps our students and the whole community connect with that.” 

The Community Tree Grants program is a collaboration between the Wheen Bee Foundation and Carman’s and offers grants of $500 to community organisations to plant pollinator-friendly trees and shrubs in their local area. 

Carman’s Founder Carolyn Creswell said she was thrilled to be working with the Wheen Bee Foundation again on such an important program for our bee populations and grassroots communities.  

“What I love most about this program is seeing the impact it has on both a community level bringing people together for the planting days, and on a bigger level supporting the pollination of crops for Aussie farmers,” Ms Creswell said. 

Other grant recipients include Back to Country, an Aboriginal-led organisation on Yuin Country in the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, Ulverstone Community Garden in northwest Tasmania, UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra in north-west Canberra and Newman Community Centre in one of Australia’s most remote towns, located 1,200 km north of Perth.  

The individual planting projects will begin in the coming weeks, with the majority of projects expected to be completed by 31 October 2025. 

To register your interest for future rounds, visit wheenbeefoundation.org.au/our-work/projects/community-tree-grants/ 

For the full list of recipients visit wheenbeefoundation.org.au/communitytreegrants