This guest post was written by Fiona Gray, a landowner participating in Koala Clancy Foundation’s tree planting project. Since the time of writing, the Koala Clancy community has completed the planting project on Fiona and her partner Damien’s property, planting a total of 6527 trees. To support more projects like this and help us reach our target of 300,000 trees by 2030, donate today.
Last year we had the immense privilege of working alongside the Koala Clancy Foundation on our property in the Moorabool Valley. Over two wild and windy weekends we hosted around 45 passionate volunteers who braved steep, rugged hills to plant 2,600 native trees and shrubs. These plantings are part of a vital effort to restore koala habitat in a landscape that has lost nearly 80% of its river forests since colonisation.
Although we’re still fortunate to see koalas here, their numbers are under threat, and they need all the help we can give. In the past, we’d tried to regenerate parts of this landscape but struggled without the people-power and ecological expertise needed to make a real impact. That’s where the Koala Clancy Foundation came in, bringing vision, experience, and an inspiring community committed to making a difference.
One moment that still makes me smile was watching a volunteer slip tree guards onto her arms like wings, ready to take flight in the fierce wind and join the wedge- tailed eagles that soar through the valley on the thermals. We were also joined by international students, some of whom had only been in Australia a few weeks. It was a wonderful way for them to meet people, learn about our native flora and fauna, and spend the day contributing to something meaningful.
At morning tea, we shared scones with jam and cream, mugs of tea and coffee, and celebrated one volunteer’s 70th birthday in a wonderfully special way — by planting trees for the future. After the work was done, everyone came together around a classic Aussie BBQ, enjoying the warmth of new connections and a shared sense of purpose.
It’s incredibly exciting to see the early signs of this work taking hold and to imagine what it might mean decades from now. As an architect working with biophilic design and regenerative principles, I believe deeply that the health of our built environments is closely tied to the health of the natural world. Whether shaping buildings or restoring landscapes, it’s about creating places that nurture life, resilience, and connection. There’s something powerful in knowing that the choices we make today can help shape a thriving, biodiverse future.
We’re looking forward to welcoming the Koala Clancy team back next month for this year’s planting season. It’s a joy to continue supporting their ethos of steady, hands- on care for Country and community. In times when the challenges facing our environment can feel overwhelming, this kind of grounded, collective action reminds me that action really is the antidote.
By Fiona Gray
This guest post was written by Fiona Gray, a landowner participating in Koala Clancy Foundation’s tree planting project. Since the time of writing, the Koala Clancy community has completed the planting project on Fiona and her partner Damien’s property, planting a total of 6527 trees. To support more projects like this and help us reach our target of 300,000 trees by 2030, donate today.
