Stay tuned! Koala Food Forest on the way

A new forest is taking root in Koonawarra as Wollongong City Council gets ready to plant its first ever Koala Food Forest.

We’ve partnered with Symbio Wildlife Park to plant the eucalyptus-filled forest which, when established, will provide essential leaves to feed the growing family of koalas at Symbio!

The conservation project will see up to 900 specially selected eucalyptus tree species planted at Eleebana Reserve in Koonawarra. While the leaves will feed primarily koalas living at Symbio, the leaves are also intended to be used as emergency feed source for koalas outside the zoo that have been impacted by bushfires and other natural disasters.

The project is still a few weeks away with site preparation work starting in the next few weeks.

Image: Say hello to some of the koalas the new Food Forest will be feeding at Symbio.

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said that he was sure there would be keen interest in the project – particularly from Koonawarra residents who will be invited to join Council and Symbio in a community planting day.

“It’s not every day that you can plant a tree to feed a hungry koala, and I imagine there will be many community members who would love to get involved,’’ Cr Bradbery said.

“Koalas are fussy eaters and will only eat the fresh shoots of branches. To keep up with our city’s focus on minimising food waste, Symbio will be feeding the reminder of the branches to other animals such as possums, kangaroos, wombats and farm animals.

“We’ll be sharing information about this project with local residents and invite them to participate in the tree planting day. We know our community will want to know more about this project. We’ll share another update with our community once planting begins so that they can stay abreast with the latest koala news.’’

Cr Bradbery said Council was pleased to collaborate with Symbio on the exciting project which provides benefits for local koalas as well as the community.

“Not only will the trees serve as a vital food source, but they will also help reduce harmful emissions, help cool the Koonawarra community during summer and restore local biodiversity. In particular, the new forest will also provide a habitat for native birds and animals,” Cr Bradbery said.

Learn more about the Koala Food Forest project.

This project is proudly supported by Wild Conservation.

Can't get enough of trees?

Wollongong City Council isn’t only planting trees for koalas. Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA) residents can request Council to plant a street tree on the public verge in front of their home.

The Adopt A Tree program is free and you can apply for a tree online today. All you have to do is promise to take care of your new tree by giving it plenty of water while it settles in so that it has the best chance to thrive.