Have you ever seen a koala in the wild? It’s a magical sight.
The wild koala could be described with a series of endearing contradictions… They have fluffy ears that look as soft as a feather and mighty claws that haul their tough bodies from ground to treetops… They survive in the rough, jagged heights of a eucalyptus forest, a wild and unpredictable environment, yet make their resting spot in a fork between two branches look like luxury comfort with ultimate appeal, even for our sensitive human bodies… At a glance, they lead a simple life – eat leaves, climb trees, rest. And yet this is just a cover story to fool those who don’t look too closely. When you pay attention, you see the exhilarating life of an animal who understands their home in a way we modern-day humans can’t fathom – from social relationships, to battles for habitat, survival against disease, intuitive and genius resource use, adaption to extreme climatic conditions, and an unwavering will to survive – and that’s all before we’ve made coffee in the morning!
The koala is a magnificent creature. At Koala Clancy Foundation, we’ve had the honour of learning from the You Yangs koala population, found to the west of Melbourne, Victoria. We’ve gained a lot of critical knowledge about the species in that time.
We’ve also learned that they’re on a trajectory to extinction because of climate change*.
*The reason for this is complex and nuanced and can’t be summarised in one article. You can learn more about it in the articles listed at the bottom of this post.
It’s our goal to change that trajectory, but due to the warming climate, in just five years, it may be too late. Only a decade or two after that, koalas in and around the You Yangs may be locally extinct.
That’s not our reality yet, though. As it stands, we still have the right climatic conditions to plant new koala forests. We can still rewrite the future for koalas.
Our Target: 300,000 Trees by 2030
Every winter, we plant tens of thousands of trees to create “koala hubs” in the You Yangs region of Victoria; forests made up of ideal koala habitat in ideal locations.
We’re over halfway there and, since setting this target in 2020, our community of supporters has grown exponentially.
Because of people like you, we’ve funded and planted 179,562 trees (at the time of writing). We’ve transformed bare, degrading land into vibrant, young forests, connected and educated thousands of community members and, above all, we’ve taken steps toward a better future for koalas.
But we have a long way to go, with over 120,000 trees still to plant to safeguard this koala population.
In our opinion, every Aussie deserves the chance to marvel at the sight of a wild koala. Those who travel to our country deserve to be awed by our forests of twisting, towering trees where, just around the corner, they could find an elusive, charismatic koala nestled in the branches of a centuries-old Red Gum. Above anything, koalas deserve to survive.
While we still have the chance, let’s fight to create a future for koalas.
Right now, more than anything, we need help reaching the $50,000 target of our fundraiser. Your donation will make it possible for us to continue planting the trees that will save our koalas.
How much can you give to safeguard the future of koalas? Click here to donate today.
