Students from Port Macquarie's Nature School joined volunteers to plant the first trees for the upcoming wild koala breeding facility.
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The facility located at Guulabaa - Place of the Koala in the Cowarra State Forest is nestled amongst plenty of native plants but the year three and four students were the first to plant vegetation to grow at the facility.
The approximately 350 plants will grow to be a buffer zone between the road and the wild koalas' enclosure.
Students Layla Whatman and Jake White said it felt good to be planting for the koalas.
"It makes more oxygen and protects the animals," Jake said.
Layla said she was looking forward to seeing the trees grow bigger.
"We can tell everyone that we were the ones that helped plant it," she said.
Project arborist Peter Berecy from Port Tree Fella said to have the students involved gives the children a sense of ownership of these trees.
"They're going to be bringing their families out and saying 'I planted that tree', he said.
"It's super important.
"The message for conservation and ownership is massive."
Mr Berecry has been busy helping monitor the worksite as well as identifying significant trees to retain and removing unwanted flora including mistletoe and lantana.
But he said that creating the buffer zone is super important as well.
"The time to start projects like this is now," he said.
"You'll be surprised in a couple of years [when] you won't be able to see through this."
A buffer for furry friends
Approximately 20 different species were planted by the volunteers and students with the Port Macquarie Landcare Group finding which plants were endemic to the site.
The vegetation, which ranges from grasses, mid-story plants to trees able to grow up to 30 metres, will work as a buffer for the koala breeding facility.
Conservation manager Scott Castle said it was really important to screen koalas from the road.
"The fewer interactions the koalas have with people, the happier they'll be," he said.
"The barrier also will be a beautiful garden that our volunteers will be able to enjoy from years to come."
This isn't going to be the only tree-planting day for Koala Conservation Australia's new facility.
Program manager Matt Whatman said that the wild koala project is currently in stage one.
"Once this program is up and running and we're producing joeys successfully, we've got land to expand to stage two," he said.
"Later in the year there will be thousands of plants [planted] further up the hill for stage three."
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Emily Walker
Reporter at Macleay Argus and Port Macquarie News.
Reporter at Macleay Argus and Port Macquarie News.
