THE BODY SHOP BIOBRIDGE MISSION COMMUNITY PLANTING
22nd June 2019 8am-11am
We are very excited to announce the Community Tree Planting Event that will begin the plantings of 24,000 trees to connect koala habitat. The Body Shop will be sending along delegates and we invite the greater community to come along and join in doing something fun to support koalas in our backyard. This seed funding provides the Noosa Koala Recovery Plan team with the funds to begin the process of transforming pine plantation to native regional ecosystem habitat to shelter and feed koalas and the many other species under their umbrella. It is a very exciting project for us here at QKC.
Habitat loss and fragmentation is known to be the greatest threat to koalas in our lifetime. As habitat is lost, koalas seek shelter and food elsewhere and often run into mishap when crossing roads and traversing back yards with dogs. We have certainly seen evidence of this in the last “trauma” season with our new rescue team. I personally have witnessed this truth in my 10 years of rescue and koala care as well and in many ways, the reason our group exists is because of this factor.
The Australian Koala Foundation motto of “No Tree No Me” is not only something we see for koalas but also for all the other species that live underneath their umbrella. It ultimately applies to us as with continued rise in temperature and dry conditions, the very air we breathe is at stake if there are not enough trees to create balance. The AKF is pursuing a Koala Protection Act at the Federal Level which will give rights to the trees and accountability to doing “what’s best for koalas”. https://www.savethekoala.com/our-work/koala-protection-act
Why can’t the government see that it is truly a matter of “now or never” and that we need our leaders to be leaders and acquire the political will to be the change for koalas and their habitat retention?
The government hosted a meeting with LeeAnne Enoch and the Environment Department with koala stakeholders in February to address threat mitigation and to discuss the recommendations of the expert koala panel. We attended this meeting and gave our recommendations as well as supported the efforts of our Alliance with WWF, The Wilderness Society, Queensland Conservation Council, EDO and other koala groups to request a moratorium on ALL landclearing of koala habitat until these recommendations have been actioned. The discussions on landclearing and the concentrated population growth in our region must be addressed within government and within our communities. We are living infinitely on a finite planet and our children and grandchildren will suffer if the rate of growth continues without mitigation and balance.
We plant trees now and it takes 3-5 years before koalas can use them for shelter. It is a start. It will potentially be 10-15 years for adequate nutrition and health to be achieved in the habitat planted. Unless we make critical changes in policy and protocol, we will continue to see koalas suffer to the effects of habitat loss regardless of how fast we plant if we keep clearing critical habitat. However, we are hopeful that in the area that will become national park, the healthy trees will provide the space and movement corridors to see a recovering population in the region.
We will keep raising our voices for koalas and we encourage you to get involved as well. Join us for a general meeting. Become a member if you are not already and tell a friend to do the same. www.koalacrusaders.org.au/member
Become a monthly donor: https://www.koalacrusaders.org.au/donate_monthly
It will take many to create the change we need to see and every bit counts. We can’t change the past but we can shape the future by remaining in the present with the will to make a difference!
Until next month, for koalas
Meghan