MORE than 300 koala food and shelter trees have been planted during a community day aimed at creating better habitat for koalas and other native wildlife.
Hastings Landcare joined The Nature School; National Parks and Wildlife Service; Koala Conservation Australia; the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; and community volunteers to plant grey gum, tallowwood, forest red gum and a range of understorey species at a restoration site near Port Macquarie.
The site, purchased for long-term conservation, has been regenerating naturally over the past 18 months.
The latest planting will strengthen the existing vegetation, improve habitat connectivity and provide more food and shelter for koalas into the future.
Koala Conservation Australia Conservation Projects Officer Louise Hoade said the project was already showing encouraging signs.
“During the site preparation stage, we were excited to see a koala right next to our planting site and we would expect our koalas to be able to use the trees within six to 10 years,” she said.
National Parks and Wildlife Service’s Libby Jude said the planting would make a significant difference.
“This planting will turn a very narrow wildlife corridor into a robust habitat where koalas can live and travel safely through,” she said.
Hastings Landcare representative Stephen Allwood said partnerships like this were vital to restoring koala habitat.
“When schools, conservation organisations and government partners work together on the ground, we can make a real difference for the future of koala habitat in our region,” he said.
For students from The Nature School, the day was also an opportunity to put classroom learning into practice.
Teacher Jess Agnello said taking part in the planting helped students understand how they could make a positive difference to the environment.
“For our students, being part of this planting day was a powerful way to connect learning with real-world action. It gave them the chance to care for the environment in a hands-on way,” she said.
“The site is also on the way to school so students can watch the trees grow over time.”
The planting was supported through the NSW Government’s NSW Koala Strategy and is expected to strengthen the wildlife corridor as the trees mature over the coming years.
By Rachael THORPE
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