How Koala Clancy Foundation is fighting the climate disaster one tree at a time
The climate disaster – we know it’s happening, and we know what’s causing it.
This can be scary to think about, but it’s important to focus on the opportunities we have to mitigate this problem and create a positive future for our planet.
My name is Eliza Anderson and I’m an environmental science student at Deakin University. Before starting my degree in 2020 I was weighed down by climate anxiety; I knew about the problems but knew little about what was being done to fix them. Since embarking on my study my eyes have been opened to a whole world of climate change solutions.
There are seaweed farms creating a more sustainable feed for cattle, there are solar farms producing enormous amounts of clean energy , and there are organisations like Koala Clancy Foundation fighting to restore the natural world.
Who is Koala Clancy Foundation?
In June 2021 myself and 13 other students from Deakin participated in a research and land rehabilitation project with Koala Clancy Foundation. At first, I thought the organisation were planting a few trees here and there, and spotting some koalas in their spare time. I had no idea of the extent of their work.
Over two weeks I, the other students, and some of the Koala Clancy Foundation staff planted a couple thousand trees and observed a lot of koalas.
I came to understand that their tree planting efforts were a pioneer project started from a place of hope and determination to create a positive future for the koalas of the You Yangs region; to save them from local extinction.
Not to mention the unparalleled amount of research that the foundation has done over 20+ years to understand the koala population in the You Yangs region. I was amazed at how well the Koala Clancy Foundation team knew these koalas, all while keeping their distance and respecting them as wild animals.
But the Koala Clancy Foundation community extends far beyond the staff and the koalas. This community is made up of landowners, residents, tourists, students, conservationists, families, and individuals who all share a greater goal – to save the planet that koalas call home.
It’s a community of people from far and wide who are fighting the climate disaster, one tree at a time. I’m honoured to be a part of that.
How You Fit into This
The staff at Koala Clancy Foundation are incredibly hard workers, and right now they’re working toward a huge goal – 300,000 trees planted by 2030. But I know they won’t be able to do it alone.
And that’s all while maintaining research projects on koala populations, fighting the boneseed weed problem in the You Yangs, and educating the community about important koala issues.
It’s the community members who make these things possible. Those who give up a bit of time and money to plant tens of thousands of trees each winter, or those who tackle the boneseed weeds in the You Yangs, and those who help from afar with donations.
You can be a part of this incredible community; you can help to fight the climate disaster and give koalas a future. There is more information on our website about how to get involved.
We can’t wait to hear from you.
