A Geelong-based koala conservation organisation has planted its 100,000th tree beside a creek in Teesdale.
Koala Clancy Foundation president Janine Duffy said that it’s a huge milestone for the small charity, which started by planting just 300 trees in 2016. They planted over 9000 trees in 2020, despite difficulties with lockdowns restricting volunteers, then reached 25,000 in 2021 and 27,000 in 2022, with the bonus of several wet winter seasons in a row.
“We’ve pressed on, growing and growing every year, because our local koalas need these trees urgently,” Duffy said.
“Climate change is threatening our region’s koalas, but a tree can grow large enough to feed a koala in just four years.
“Action taken now could mean the difference between life or death for Geelong koalas, and there’s never been a better time to plant koala trees – the years of good rainfall means that growth will be rapid.
“Even with flooding to contend with, our tree survival rate is massive. On one farm at Little River, tree survival is 93 percent after four years, and on another near Mount Rothwell, tree survival is 87 percent after three years.”
The foundation has plans to plant 300,000 koala trees by 2030. Dozens of landowners and farmers from all across the region have offered their fertile riverside habitat for revegetation, in the valleys of the Barwon, Moorabool and Little River.
“Koala Clancy Foundation planted on our property in 2021, they were so organised and great to work with, and even returned to collect all the tree guards for recycling two years later,” Mark and Heike Dunn from Stonehaven said.
“Some of the trees they planted are already four metres high,” Heike said.
“Koala Clancy Foundation planted 5500 trees on my property in 2022, and are planting another 10,500 this year,” Teesdale’s Brian O’Shannassy said.
“I’m impressed by their knowledge, determination and work ethic.”
“We love watching the wildlife return to these properties as the native vegetation is replaced,” Duffy said.
Property owners with fertile river flats, creeks or drainage lines who are keen to revegetate are encouraged to register interest at koalaclancyfoundation.org.au/landowners/
