…but they need more trees
Friends of the Koala is excited to have been granted $199,980 from the Australian Government for its ‘Hanging out at East Coraki: koalas thriving in an agricultural landscape’, project and to be running the first Community Tree Planting Day on Saturday May 20.
Project Manager, Maria Matthes said the area is being overpopulated. ‘There are so many koalas living in the East Coraki area and there is not enough koala food trees to sustain the local sub-population.
‘It is an area where Friends of the Koala rescue several koalas with extremely poor body condition, often as a result of not enough quality leaf available.
Weed control in koala habitat
Ms Matthes said the project includes weed control in koala habitat along the river and tree planting koala habitat on several properties, as well as koala habitat assessment, and monitoring of the koalas. ‘Many of the favourite food trees suffered during the drought, and then many of the smaller trees were hammered by the flood.
‘These riparian areas are critically important to the koalas during dry times, with more koalas moving to the water. FOK will be doing all it can to create an environment where the koalas will be able to not just survive, but thrive.
Friends of the Koala Project Officer, Ina Ergemann, FOK have been doing the habitat assessments and have been quite shocked at seeing trees regenerating after being affected by the flood. ‘The koalas are eating all the reshooting leaves they can reach, over and over. We can’t get more trees in the ground quick enough, so it would be great if people would like to join us for planting.
Appreciative of support from landholders
‘We are so appreciative of the great support from the landholders to having more koala trees and koalas on their properties. If there are other landholders in East Coraki, or elsewhere, who would like to help our koalas and plant some trees, we would love them to contact us.’
Join Friends of the Koala at East Coraki Community Tree Planting
Saturday 20 May, 9.30am to 12pm. Light refreshments provided
For more information on the project, the location of the tree planting, and to RSVP contact Ina Egermann, Project Officer, Friends of the Koala on 0413 710 917 or email: [email protected]
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