For the first time in decades, koalas have been spotted on a historic sheep-grazing property in Victoria which had thousands of trees planted on it to bring the species back.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) teamed up with partner Koala Clancy Foundation in mid-June to plant around 8,000 trees on the property which sits along the Moorabool River in Victoria. Over 30 volunteers, aged 6 to 80, helped plant a variety of native trees and shrubs making it a truly koalaborative effort. This is in addition to 3,618 trees planted in June 2023, bringing it to a total of over 11,000.
The region was once some of the best koala habitat in Victoria but was cleared for farming years ago—leaving koalas with 20% of what they used to have. This is compounded by climate change which is pushing koalas further south as they try to escape the heat and dryness.
Early signs of koalas returning to the area were confirmed when, in early June, a koala was spotted on the property – the second sighting since trees were first planted in 2023. Audio recordings have also picked up sounds of koalas on the property in the past year.
“Hearing and seeing koalas so soon after we planted the first trees is such a promising sign. It’s proof that if you build it, they will come,” IFAW Wildlife Campaign Manager Josey Sharrad said.
“Every tree planted is a lifeline for koalas and other wildlife. To see individuals dedicating pockets of their land to this iconic species gives us hope for the future of Australian wildlife.”
Koala Clancy Foundation President Janine Duffy said it had been 100 years since koalas had habitat on this riverbank, and these new trees would be the first step in giving the land back to wildlife.
“After years of no koala sightings, we were so heartened to hear koalas nearby after our 2023 planting, and then to find two on the property was icing on the cake,” Ms Duffy said.
“We’ve now increased the planting area to give these two koalas and hopefully others more habitat.”
The owners of the 459-hectare property are former farmers passionate about restoring koala habitat. Liz and Ross Wilkie are hopeful the recent sightings are just the beginning.
“We wanted to dedicate part of our property to koalas because there has been a marked decline of koalas here in the past 20 years. Knowing koalas have already been spotted since last year’s planting gives us even more hope the population will bounce back while also improving the surrounding ecosystem for other native wildlife,” Ms Wilkie said.
With the majority of koala habitat occurring on private land, private landholders hold a key to the species’ survival.
Koala Clancy Foundation plants trees for koalas, creates new habitat, educates the community, supports scientific research and advocates for protection of wild koalas and their forest habitats. The organisation has planted 95,854 koala trees beside rivers on Melbourne’s Western Plains and in East Gippsland, Victoria and plans to plant 300,000 koala trees on the Western Plains by 2030.
The Foundation is one of many wildlife groups IFAW supports around Australia with habitat restoration, to ensure a full-circle approach to conservation in Australia. Not only does it help native animals to thrive in the wild, it also works to ensure any animals that need to be rescued and rehabilitated can be released into a secure and sustainable environment.
“The dire situation for koalas and other native wildlife is not something that can be fixed by one individual or group, which is why we work with local groups and volunteers on the ground to bring together communities to be a part of the solution,” Ms Sharrad said.
If you are a landholder and interested in regenerating your property or if you would like to volunteer at a future planting day contact koalaclancyfoundation.org. Read more about IFAW’s habitat regeneration projects at IFAW.org/au
By IFAW
Top Image: Louisa Jones Photography
July 2024