3000 trees to help koalas fight for survival in corridor between Little River and You Yangs

An initiative to plant more than 3000 trees north of Geelong is aiming to pave the way for the survival of the local koala population.

A community tree-planting program is working towards helping the long-term survival of the local koala population.

The project, to create an indigenous tree corridor linking the You Yangs to Little River, was conceived by not-for-profit organisation the Koala Clancy Foundation, and will be part-funded by the City of Greater Geelong via a $9000 environmental sustainability grant.

With the help of volunteers, the foundation plans to plant more than 3000 grassy woodland trees and shrubs along a corridor of privately owned farmland near Little River.

Koala Clancy Foundation president Janine Duffy said the new woodland would help koalas move into fertile, moisture-rich tree areas along the river in times of heat stress such as drought or bushfire.

Supplied picture L-R front row: Koala Clancy Foundation President Janine Duffy with property owners Michael and Anne Smith. L-R back row: Cr Kylie Grzybek, Koala Clancy Foundation Treasurer Roger Smith and Cr Anthony Aitken]

“This project is especially critical given the impact of climate change and the likelihood that koala habitat away from waterways will become increasingly dry,” Ms Duffy said. “We’ve been lucky to find a landowner willing to provide a broad corridor, allowing us to convert a large area of farmland into grassy woodland.”

Planting will take place between June and August 2021.

Windermere Ward councillor Kylie Grzybek said the project would help protect a unique and special part of the Greater Geelong region.

“The You Yangs and surrounds are home to many precious and endangered native plants and animals, and it’s just so important that we do what we can to help them survive and thrive into the future,” Cr Grzybek said.

“The Koala Clancy Foundation is doing great work and the council is glad to be offering support via this grant.”

The majority of trees for the project will be sourced from a local nursery, with others to be sown from seed by volunteers.

Property owners Michael and Anne Smith said they had no hesitation in providing their farmland for the project.

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“We are delighted that Koala Clancy is committed to the region and planting a few thousand trees to help restore this land, and council’s grant enables the project,” Mr Smith said. “They say the best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago, so the sooner we take this step the better.”

The Koala Clancy Foundation has already planted around 16,500 trees at 11 sites across Greater Geelong since 2016. For more information about the foundation, including details of tree planting days, visit www.koalaclancyfoundation.org.au

The grant was among 120 awarded by the council in December under the first round of its 2020-21 Community Grants program, totalling $567,000 in value.

Applications of up to $350,000 under the $3 million Community Infrastructure grants stream are being assessed and will be awarded in February.

Originally published as 3000 trees to help koalas fight for survival in corridor between Little River and You Yangs