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The Koala Blog

Koala cuteness, conservation and news from the front line.

Plant more trees

Plant and they will come has been our motto at Friends of the Koala

This month we celebrate World Nature Conservation Day on July 28th to create awareness about the importance of our environment, natural resources and safeguarding our ecosystems. It is also National Tree Day here in Australia, which encourages tree planting, environmental care and preservation.

Both days are a good reason to reflect upon why we here at Friends of the Koala have been planting trees for koalas since day one of our inception.

Plant more trees and koalas will come has been our mantra because we know without food and shelter – there are no koalas – it is that simple.  Koalas being a highly specialised species with distinguished tastes are making it easy for us to focus on what is important. We need koala food trees (koala eucalyptus) and koala habitat so koalas can survive.

Friends of the Koala founding member Mark Wilson’s guidance has been helping property owners create koala habitat on their land for 35 years. His mantra has been ‘plant and they will come’

This mantra throws us back to our roots when Friends of the Koala was formed in 1986 as a tree planting group in response to habitat loss. In 1989, we also began rescuing and rehabilitating koalas, we are one of the only koala care groups in Australia that focuses on all aspects of koala conservation.

Putting back into the environment, not taking away

Did you know that the Northern Rivers region covers approximately 50,000km² of north-east NSW and is known for beautiful beaches, rivers, national parks and state forests? It is very rich in biodiversity and home to many unique and some threatened species – which includes the koala. Our work covers the entire Northern Rivers area.

The beauty and rich biodiversity of the Northern Rivers is highly valuable and important, ecologically and economically. When natural habitats are degraded and biodiversity is lost, our species, humans are also at risk.

Habitat loss from logging and land clearing had detrimental impacts on all wildlife and is the number one threat to koalas. Sustainable development considers the needs of the local community alongside wildlife conservation.

Working together to get further

A huge part of what we do to solve the challenge of a rapidly shrinking habitat is working with state agencies, local councils, nongovernment organisations, community groups and individual landholders to protect and extend koala habitat.

One million trees

Since records began in 1989, Friends of the Koala have grown and issued more than 964,000 native plants and trees to landholders and habitat restoration groups across the region. We also provide advice to landowners, community organisations and government on creating, protecting and restoring koala habitat. Thanks to council and landholders, areas of habitat have been restored and offer hope for the regeneration of the Northern Rivers and the conservation of koalas.

Koalas need more variety of koala primary and secondary food trees as well as larger areas of protected out-of-the-way land to relieve the stress on the species that comes with living near humans. The direct consequences such as dog attacks and car hits as well as the indirect consequences such as the increased levels of stress that leads to compromised immunity and disease.

Koalas occasionally eat non-eucalyptus species including melaleuca, they also use them to access larger gum trees and as part of their aerial highway.

By planting trees, we can connect fragmented habitat with networks of vegetation that provide koalas with a pathway away from human activity. By planting certain types of eucalyptus trees, we can also create thriving forests of safe habitat with plentiful food source.

Interesting facts about Australian trees

In Australia, there are over 24,000 species of native trees and plants and according to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, the term ‘eucalypt’ includes approximately 900 species in the three genera Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora. Almost all eucalypt species are native to Australia.

The Northern Rivers is the most North Easterly region of NSW – in which over 170 eucalypt forest ecosystems have been identified. The unique diversity of eucalypt ecosystems in the region have been identified as warranting inclusion on the World Heritage list. source Wow, we are very proud to be contributing to the continued existance of this incredible biodiversity for future generations.

Primary food trees for koalas

Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis), Tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys) and Swamp Mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta) are the primary food trees for our koalas in this region.

Secondary browse trees for koalas

Flooded Gum (Eucalyptus grandis), Grey Gum (Eucalyptus propinqua), Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis), Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna), Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus signata), Grey Ironbark (Eucalyptus siderophloia), Forest Oak (Allocasuarina torulosa), Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus), Paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia).

Friends of the Koala, operate a community native plant nursery and currently have five nursery sites in Lismore and surrounding areas.

We propagate and sell a wide range of native plant species

Our nursery provides koala food trees to landholders in the Northern Rivers where koalas reside, and we also grow a wide range of other native trees, shrubs, groundcovers and grasses. We often have funded projects running where the plants are distributed for free. If they are sold, all profits go back into the organisation to assist with koala rescue and rehabilitation.

One of the most impactful ways that you can help Friends of the Koala is to help us plant more trees for koala conservation. We can help you with the various types of eucalyptus that are essential for the long-term survival of koalas.

Our community native plant nursery in the Northern Rivers producing koala food trees, other native trees, shrubs, groundcovers and grasses for local landholders.

Why not celebrate today and adopt a tree for just $5, we also sell trees to landholders for $1 and in some cases through funded projects, plants are distributed for free. Please contact us for more information. If you’re a school or business and would like more information about tree-planting please get in touch, we would love to help you.

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