FREE KOALA-FRIENDLY TREES
KOALA CONSERVATION AUSTRALIA AND FORESTRY CORPORATION ARE GROWING A
FREE LOCAL BUFFET FOR MID NORTH COAST NSW KOALAS
Koala Conservation Australia (KCA) has received its latest delivery of eucalypt seedlings for the annual community koala tree giveaway. KCA, based in Port Macquarie, has its own planting programs and also partners with local community groups and private landholders every year to expand the koala-friendly territory in the area.
The donation from Forestry Corporation consists of a variety of seedlings grown at its Grafton Nursery. Around 25,000 seedlings have been donated this year for local planting projects supporting koala populations on the Mid North Coast.
KCA will use the feed tree species, which are favoured by koalas, to support community and private planting programs. These plantings will improve connectivity through the creation of koala corridors while providing future food and habitat for koala populations on the Mid North Coast.
Forestry Corporation’s Partnership Leader, Leah Moncrieff said the seedlings have now been delivered with KCA’s koala tree giveaway starting last weekend.
“The seedlings can be ordered through the KCA website and picked up from the Koala Hospital grounds in Port Macquarie for bush regeneration plantings, community plantings and private landholder plantings,” Moncrieff said.
“Forestry Corporation is passionate about koalas and is excited to support KCA’s efforts in providing the seedlings to the public.The seedlings come with easy-to-follow information from Forestry Corporation to ensure successful growth.
“These resources, available from KCA, can assist in selecting the right species to be planted in the right location, when and how to plant, how to alleviate ongoing risks and listing maintenance of the seedlings until they become established.”
The initiative between KCA and Forestry Corporation, started five years ago, and has now seen more than 150,000 koala feed trees donated to the Koala Hospital for distribution to local landowners and community groups.
KCA General Manager Maria Doherty said the koala tree delivery has been gratefully received.
“KCA and Forestry Corporation have a great relationship working together to improve koala conservation in our local region, through tree plantings, tree giveaways and partnering at Guulabaa where the world’s first wild koala breeding program has commenced,” Ms Doherty said.
KCA Conservation Manager, Scott Castle said the koala feed tree delivery is perfectly timed with ongoing works at Guulabaa – Place of the Koala – in Cowarra State Forest.
“We will be using some of this year’s donated trees to regenerate bushland areas and landscape at Guulabaa for the new Wild Koala Breeding Program,” Castle said.
MAIN PIC: Forestry Corporation Senior Ecologist Chris Slade with KCA Business Development Manager Jane Ellis.
