News Item

GREEN THUMB TRANSFORMS NURSERY AT MCMILLAN

September 27, 2011

A nursery which has been growing native plants to regenerate properties impacted by the Black Saturday Bushfires has been given a boost.

A funding grant from the Helen McPherson-Smith (HMS) Trust has enabled Community College Gippsland to employ a nurseryman, Tim Morgan, to keep the facility going at the Warragul McMillan campus as a resource for property owners who are still re-planting.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Tellefson, said the nursery had assisted dozens of people impacted by the fires in the Bunyip Ridge area over the past two years. “It has been a resource for the Bushfire Recovery Project, funded by the Australian Government, which has played a significant role in community recovery efforts.”

Mr Tellefson said Tim Morgan was initially employed by the College to work with the Bushfire Recovery team and during his employment and training developed a strong interest in horticulture.

“Community College Gippsland has been pleased to extend his employment through the HMS Bushfire Grants Fund to work in the nursery part-time and develop his skills. 

“Tim’s care and attention has resulted in the nursery producing a surplus of plants. As a result, we are preparing to conduct a sale of shrubs and trees at reasonable prices and monies collected will be put back into community projects.”

He said in addition to caring for property owners’ trees and shrubs, and propagating new plants, Tim had nurtured a large stock of ornamental succulents which were also being prepared for sale to the community.

Tim Morgan said when he came to the nursery he discovered a large number of dead or dying cacti discarded from past horticulture student projects which were destined for garden waste.

“It has been satisfying to take something that most people might view as worthless and with care and patience turn it into something useful and valuable.”

Mr Tellefson said the cacti stock could have a retail value of several thousands dollars.

“Tim will be staffing a stand at the Rokeby Market for the next three months to sell the cacti and surplus native plants. The Rokeby Market is held on the Second Saturday of each month.

“The sale will be an opportunity for people to purchase a range of trees and plants at attractive prices with the knowledge that the money raised will be returned to benefit the community.”

Tim Morgan cares for plants in the Nursery at Community College Gippsland’s Warragul McMillan campus.

For further information contact:

Jeff Tellefson
Deputy CEO
Community College Gippsland
Ph: 5622 6000