AUSTRALIAN Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) and Barang Landcare staff and skilled workforce interns have planted over 4000 seedlings of 10 key koala food trees, aiming to increase habitat for the endangered species.
This significant revegetation project has been undertaken in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, specifically Maleny, with trees such as eucalypts being planted over six hectares in the AWC’s Curramore Wildlife Sanctuary.
Barang Landcare were responsible for germinating and dveeloping the seedlings leading up to the tree planting, with koala foods including White Mahogany, Flooded Gum, and Queensland Blue Gum.
They then returned to the sanctuary late last month (November 2023), to prepare the paddock for the 30 centimetre seedlings by slashing the towering 1.5 metre introduced pasture grasses.
Barung Landcare Natural Area Manager, Kate Seehuusen, said the week of tree planting took a huge effort from all involved, however, the work was worth it.
“This project is a step in the right direction for helping to strengthen our Koala populations and create corridors which will in turn help other local species,” she said.
AWC Senior Field Ecologist leading the reforestation project, Andy Howe, said revegetation has not been a major part of AWC’s program at Curramore previously, but he believes the replanting will help improve connectivity of habitat at the sanctuary.
“This restoration project is designed to increase and connect Koala habitat at Curramore, while also encourage other wildlife, such as bandicoots, gliders and owls, to return to the revegetated area,” he said.
“In 10 years, we want the restoration area to be starting to resemble the adjacent native forests and become habitat for a diverse community of plants and animals, and not just a monoculture plantation of eucalypts.”
For more on AWC’s work, click here.