Koalas in need of accommodation

-LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

The Koala Clancy Foundation is seeking landowners interested in creating koala habitat on their land around Teesdale and Bannockburn, Maude and Russells Bridge.

Land on the Mooroobool and on creeks and tributaries is ideal. Large properties at Bruce Creek, Sandy Creek, Native Hut Creek and Stony Creek are very suitable.

Koala sightings in Inverleigh and Teesdale and along the Mooroobool downstream from She Oaks are scarce these days.

A big mature male koala was seen in Inverleigh Nature Conservation Reserve in January 2023, and two other individuals were seen and reported to iNaturalist in May 2020 and November 2021.

We also know of reports at Maude, at Russells Bridge and around Gheringhap.

We have also heard of other records, and koala scratches on trees have been seen at Woolbrook and in Inverleigh NCR.

The decade from 1980 to 1989 had lots of records of koalas in the area but each decade since then has seen a decline in sightings.

The reason is not known, but the drying and warming climate is likely to be the cause.

In addition, increasing carbon in the atmosphere is changing the nutritional qualities of eucalyptus leaves, making good koala trees toxic and inedible.

But, the grassy woodland plains of the Golden Plains Shire are naturally good koala country.

Much of the country around Teesdale and Bannockburn was once a grassy forest of widely-separated big trees, with patches of grassland.

Koalas love river red gums Eucalyptus camaldulensis and swamp gums Eucalyptus ovata that grow beside creeks and on the flats, and manna gums Eucalyptus viminalis, yellow box Eucalyptus melliodora and yellow gums Eucalyptus leucoxylon on the sandy plains.

Koalas will be searching for big blocks of habitat that is moist and cool, on fertile soils.

We are looking for planting projects of two hectares and more that we can revegetate into prime wildlife habitat, with a natural and complex suite of local species, including native wildflowers, saltbushes, everlasting daisies, small wattles and eucalyptus trees.

If you have land that sounds like it will suit this project, please get in touch.

More information can be found at koalaclancyfoundation.org.au.

Janine Duffey

President

Koala Clancy Foundation

Janine will be the guest speaker at the Friends of Inverleigh Nature Conservation Reserve AGM on 7 March at 7.30pm at Teesdale Community Hall.