Korora Basin Landcare spent Tree Day planting koala-friendly eucalypts Coffs Coast Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - August 8, 2021 Simon Proust, Korora Basin Landcare Coordinator has a background in soil conservation and sustainability and Tom Fish is an organic gardener. KORORA Basin Landcare focused on National Tree Day, this weekend, for their monthly working bee along the Finlays Road bush. Their tree planting saw 35 trees going in, all gums; Forest Red gum, Grey gum, Bloodwood, Sydney Blue gum and Tallowwoods. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “We’re planting all eucalypts because they are koala friendly,” said Simon Proust, Korora Basin Landcare, known unofficially as the group’s President, because he organises well and knows his stuff. “This job we’re on here is koala friendly because we have a corridor that’s perfect for attracting them,” he told News Of The Area. “We’ve been preparing the site over the past few weeks, prepping for the planting today. “We’ve especially selected this area to plant, as part of our project to link the corridor, filling in the gaps, to attract koalas. “The corridor goes right up to Bruxtor Park bush, and all the way down to Korora Basin.” The group of twelve local members of Korora Basin Landcare, have mostly been working in this area since 2006. Over the years they’ve sighted koalas. “You see the scratching and scats and then look up,” said Josh Keating. Landcare is a social movement to get people into groups to make an environmental improvement; more than tree planting there’s a range of tasks across weed control, bush regeneration and environmental restoration in our case on crown road reserves and Korora Nature Reserve. The group meets monthly totalling up over 160 volunteer hours per annum. Chris Bullen told News Of The Area, “I do this job to reinstate habitat for wildlife; in Cairns where I was before we did it for the cassowaries, and were successful – here it’s for the koalas.” “These people”, Simon said, sweeping his hand out across the group of doubled-over volunteers, “have a common ethos, they are all sympathetic to climate change”. “Every tree we plant sucks up CO2 emissions.” Carol Harris said, “I love being out in the fresh air with other like-minded people; planting trees gives back to the environment – it’s so good to come back and see them growing.” “For me, it’s care and repair for the environment,” said Jeff Tomkinson. By Andrea FERRARI Korora Basin Landcare Group. Carol Harris, “Planting trees is giving back to the environment.” Jeff Tomkinson, Korora resident in the Landcare Group.
