Adopt a Tree
Did you know?
Habitat destruction is the greatest threat to koalas’ survival.
By adopting a tree you can help restore the natural habit of our precious koalas.
Adopt a tree and make a difference!
Without eucalyptus trees, koalas will become extinct
Many of the remaining belts of eucalypts along traditional koala routes have become severely fragmented because of deforestation, climate change, and other factors.
Eucalyptus–the koalas only food source, is harder to find and the koala population is declining rapidly.
A koala searching for food must spend more time on the ground where they are more susceptible to dangers such as disease, dog attacks and motor vehicle accidents.
Help save koalas and their habitat by adopting a tree!
Friends of the Koala’s conservation efforts aim to maintain and restore koala habitats, focusing on increasing the abundance and diversity of eucalyptus trees. We are one of very few organisations that physically grow and plant trees in the Northern Rivers and distribute over 110,000 trees each year.
When you adopt a tree, you are restoring the koala’s natural habitat and helping to conserve the koala population. Besides helping our furry friends, you are also positively impacting the environment, reducing your carbon footprint and promoting sustainability!
Tree Adoption FAQ
There are several reasons for the decline trees for koalas:
Deforestation: Clearing land for development, agriculture and logging has caused the loss of extensive areas of eucalyptus forest.
Climate change: Climate related events such as droughts, heat waves, and bushfires regularly damage and destroy eucalyptus forests. Climate can also affect the distribution of eucalyptus trees, making some areas less suitable for koala populations.
Disease and pests: Diseases and pests can damage eucalyptus trees, reducing their ability to give koalas the food and shelter they need. For example, the eucalyptus long-horned borer, an insect pest, can cause significant damage to eucalyptus trees.
Invasive species: Invasive plant species can out-compete native eucalyptus trees for resources, such as water, sunlight, and nutrients. This competition can affect eucalyptus tree populations.
Fragmentation: Land development often leads to habitat fragmentation, where eucalyptus forests can become isolated from one another. This can affect tree quality and quantity, as well as limit the movement and genetic diversity of koalas.To address these challenges, Friends of the Koala conservation efforts focus on protecting and restoring koala habitat, advocating for sustainable land management practices, and raising awareness about the importance of koala habitat. By adopting a tree, you can contribute to these efforts and help ensure a future for koalas and their habitats.
Our nursery currently grows and distributes over 110,000 trees every year. However, an increase in tree adoptions would allow us to expand even further!
How long it takes for a eucalyptus tree to grow depends on the specific variety and things like soil quality, access to water, and climate. Eucalyptus trees are known to have a moderate to fast growth rate. As an example, The Forest Red Gum, can grow up to 1-2 meters (3-6 feet) per year until it reaches maturity. The Forest Red Gum will eventually grow to 20-50 meters (65-165 feet) over the course of 20-50 years, depending on conditions.
Young eucalyptus trees can provide some food and shelter for koalas, but if given the choice, they prefer more mature trees with an abundance of leaves and more canopy for sleeping.
Eucalyptus trees are the essential food source and habitat for koalas. Koalas have evolved to survive solely on a diet of eucalyptus leaves and they are even picky about which type of eucalyptus they will eat! This leaves them highly vulnerable to natural disasters and deforestation. They eat the leaves, sleep in the trees, and even derive their water intake from their exclusive diet.
Your adopted tree will be planted in the Northern Rivers, home to one of the last genetically diverse koala populations in the world. Your tree could be planted on the private property of a landholder in the region, or as part of a habitat creation/restoration project by Friends of the Koala or one of our local partners.
Yes, absolutely! The more trees you adopt, the more effective we can be in our efforts for koala conservation.
Absolutely! Every product or service sold can correspond with the adoption of a tree.
See how our friends at Koala Cure are teaming up with us!
A team of incredibly dedicated volunteers work at the Friends of the Koala nursery every day to grow and nurture the trees in a controlled environment until they are ready to go to their new home.
When growing food trees for koalas, it’s important that they’re grown from seed collected locally, and preferably collected from trees known to be eaten by koalas. If we do not grow the trees from locally collected seeds, they are less likely to thrive or even survive.