RESTORING & REVEGETATING KOALA HABITAT
PROTECTING BUSHFIRE AFFECTED KOALA HABITAT AND WILDLIFE REFUGIA.
Community Participation - LP012-06
The issue
To revegetate areas where koalas have been sighted and to enable safe movements through their wildlife corridors. We needed to recruit volunteer land holders willing to plant and protect tubestock for the ‘long game’, to ensure the availability of fodder and shade trees for the future.
We have a little-known koala population near Bathurst. Koalas are regularly sighted on properties with mainly young males have been taken to WIRES due to injuries from crossing paddocks or roads.
The koalas’ habitat is being compromised through urban development and increased road traffic. As the drought progressed we saw their fodder trees being severely impacted and then the smoke from the Black Summer bushfires also affected their habitat.
The solution
The Central Tablelands koala population is fortunate for a number of reasons.
Central Tablelands Landcare Committee (CTLC) has its own nursery to grow tubestock from locally sourced seeds. It is staffed by a wonderful manager and her team of volunteers.
CTLC received funding from the Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Program (LLBRG) grant enabling us to grow 5000 tubestock to distribute to landholders to plant in the koala area. We also held some seed collecting and propagating workshops.
We put the call out through our newsletter as well as local radio and TV news. The response was amazing. From small landholders to larger properties, people are willing to plant tubestock to ensure the continued existence of the local koalas.
Watch the Prime7 news item here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=658577908628323&ref=sharing
The impact
Our community worked to protect the local koala population through revegetating their environment. Over 30 landholders have planted out 5000 tubestock ensuring the koala continues to inhabit the Central Tablelands.
A benefit of this project is the increase in biodiversity that will occur due to these plantings.
Increasing awareness of the koalas in our area led to more on-ground works including two Seed collecting and propagation workshops.
People were shown how to use the ISpy Koala app to record koala sightings in the area. These recordings will contribute to the up-to-date information needed for ongoing protection of our local koala population.
Key facts
- The koala is a perennial favourite with everyone. Its survival is of the utmost importance for rural and urban Australians.
- People care about their environment and are happy and willing to help where and when they can- "Thinking global, acting local"