Fernmania Wins Environmental Excellence at the 2026 CareSuper Business Excellence Awards

Fernmania is proud to share that we have won the Environmental Excellence Award at the 2026 CareSuper Business Excellence Awards.

The awards, presented by the Launceston Chamber of Commerce, recognise businesses, organisations and individuals making a strong contribution to Northern Tasmania through service, innovation, resilience and long-term achievement.

For Fernmania, this award is about more than one night at a gala dinner. It is recognition of decades of hard work, family commitment and a long-standing belief that business and environmental responsibility can work together "hand-in-hand".

A Proud Moment for a Long-Standing Tasmanian Family Business

Fernmania has been owned and run by Bert and Ruth Van den Berg since 1986. Over more than 35 years, the business has grown from a Tasmanian fern operation into a specialist supplier of Dicksonia antarctica tree ferns, nursery plants and fern-related products. This is not the first time Fernmania has been recognised through the Launceston Chamber of Commerce. Approximately 20 years ago, Fernmania was also acknowledged for export achievements, reflecting the long-term growth, capability and reach of the business. To now be recognised again, this time for Environmental Excellence, is a proud moment for the whole Fernmania team.

What Environmental Excellence Means to Fernmania

The Environmental Excellence Award recognises outstanding environmental practice and vision. For Fernmania, environmental responsibility has always been practical. It is not just something written on paper. It is seen in the way plants are grown, relocated, reused, watered, managed and cared for over time. Our work with Dicksonia antarctica includes careful relocation, nursery growing, water-conscious practices, reuse of natural material, and ongoing education around the real life cycle and resilience of Tasmania’s iconic tree fern.

Fernmania maintains nursery infrastructure, including ever growing number of dams and dedicated growing areas, to support plant growth and reduce reliance on public water. We also reuse natural materials wherever possible, including sections of Dicksonia antarctica that can continue to support other plants rather than being treated as waste. That approach is central to our work: when natural material still has value, it should continue to support life.

Community Support That Means a Great Deal

Since the award was announced, Fernmania has received an incredible response from customers, friends, family, fellow Tasmanian businesses and the wider community. The messages of support have meant a great deal. People shared congratulations, memories, stories of Fernmania plants growing in their own gardens, and recognition of the years of work behind the business. Several comments also acknowledged the dedication of Bert and Ruth, the wider Fernmania team, and the value of Fernmania’s plants in gardens, landscapes and other growing projects.

Felix Ellis MP, Tasmania’s Minister for Business, Industry and Resources, also publicly congratulated Fernmania and recognised the contribution of family forestry businesses to the community. Fernmania would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported us, encouraged us, purchased from us, visited the nursery, shared our story or helped others better understand the work we do.

Still Growing and Still Looking Forward

For us, this award is not an endpoint. It is encouragement to keep improving, keep growing and keep showing what responsible, hands-on environmental practice can look like in a real Tasmanian business.

Fernmania will continue to focus on Dicksonia antarctica relocation, nursery-grown plants, sustainable reuse, water-conscious growing practices and practical education around one of Tasmania’s most iconic fern species.

We are grateful to the Launceston Chamber of Commerce, CareSuper, the award sponsors, judges and everyone involved in the 2026 Business Excellence Awards.

Most of all, we are grateful to the people who have supported Fernmania over so many years. We are still here, still growing, and still committed to giving these remarkable plants the future they deserve.

Thank you!

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