Easter Plantings

For some time now, the Koala Group has been trying to re-establish the koala population in Winda Woppa.  In the past few years we have planted hundreds of koala food trees in the corridor between Jimmy’s Beach and the beginning of Winda Woppa.  There has also been a lot of bush regeneration carried out in the corridor with the help of Barker College students, the GreenCorp team of young people and the Conservation Volunteer group from Karuah Aboriginal Community.  On Easter Sunday and Monday, our President Helen Dauncey and Gail and Ian Morphett commenced our first targeted action to re-establish koala food tree vegetation in private properties in Winda Woppa.  It was a doorknock where we offered a choice of three koala food trees: Swamp Mahogany, Paperbark and our first release in the area of Parramattensis, a small (only 3-4 metres tall), attractive eucalypt that is ideal in small yards and is loved by koalas. We were enthusiastically received and on the day planted 13 Parramattensis, 3 paperbarks and 10 Swampies.  We also gave away 12 Parramattensis, 1 Paperbark and 3 Swampies that owners said they would plant later.  It was great to welcome four new families who joined the Koala Group on the day.

Our stall in Hawks Nest on Easter Saturday was a great success.  We raised a combined total of $1,200 from the stall on the day and the raffle which had been running since early March.  The raffle winner of a whale watching cruise on The Imagine was Anne-Marie Sheridan (Blue ticket A8) and second prize of a soft koala donated by the Australian Koala Foundation was Anna Jeffery (Green ticket C34).

We have had 22 koala sightings in March/April which is normal for the non-breeding months. Please report your koala sightings on our sightings hotline 4997 0878 and ring NATF on 0418 628 483 (0418 NATIVE) to report any injured wildlife.

Our next meeting of the Group, which will also be our Annual General Meeting, will be on Tuesday 19 May 2009 at 7:30pm in the Dolphin Room of the Tea Gardens Hotel.  Members and the wider community are welcome to attend.  If you would like to become a member of our Group (only $10 a year), call Ian on 4997 1550.  This report can also be seen each month on the noticeboard outside Hawks Nest Newsagency.

 

Gail & Ian Morphett (4997 1550)

Myall Koala & Environmental Support Group

The Myall Koala & Environmental Support Group Inc.

Enthusiastic Owners:

Gail (on the left) and Ian (in front)

Planting a Parramattensis at

Deborah and Mark Wilkinson’s holiday house in The Boulevarde

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest Community Information Service

Koala Report for April 2009