25,000 free eucalyptus seedlings offered to support koala habitat restoration

A truckload of 25,000 donated eucalypt seedlings has arrived at Guulabaa - Place of the Koala for the Koala Conservation Australia’s annual koala feed tree giveaway.

The giveaway means community members and landholders can pick up koala food tree seedlings for free to help create homes for koalas across the Mid North Coast.

Guulabaa is located in Cowarra State Forest near Port Macquarie and is home to the wild koala breeding centre. The koala hospital is also located at the site temporarily during a redevelopment project, set to be complete next year.

Click and collect koala trees

Private or public land holders with some open space for tree plantings can order eucalyptus seedlings on the Koala Conservation Australia website, then collect their trees at Guulabaa in Cowarra State Forest between 10am and 2pm, Monday to Saturday, until June 30.

Four species of koala food trees are on offer to suit different soil types, including Tallowwood, Grey gum, Forest red gum and Swamp mahogany.

This giveaway is open to private landholders, public landholders, and community members in the Port Macquarie-Hastings, Macleay Valley, and Mid Coast regions.

Recipients will be asked to provide their details and the planting location so KCA can contact them if they need to harvest food for koalas in its care. Landholders can take up to 120 trees per species.

Help create koala corridors

The koala feed tree giveaway allows the community to contribute to the health and wellbeing of koalas on the Mid North Coast.

“The annual tree giveaway engages the wider community in planting koala food trees and goes some way to regenerating and connecting existing habitats,” Koala Conservation Australia spokesperson Scott Castle said.

The tree seedlings are grown at Forestry Corporation’s Grafton nursery. 

“These trees support local planting projects to provide sustenance for koala populations, improve connectivity between areas, afford future food and habitat and improve environmental value,” Forestry Corporation Partnership Leader, Leah Moncrieff said.

Easy-to-follow planting information and resources are available on site when picking up seedlings.

“These resources will assist in selecting the right species for the right location, when and how to plant, how to alleviate ongoing risks and maintaining the seedlings until they become established ensuring success,” Moncrieff said.

You can order trees here for pickup. Email [email protected] with any questions.

Thumbnail: Images supplied Forestry Corporation NSW