Koala Food Tree Plantations

Feeding our koalas at both our Koala Conservation Hospital and Wild Koala Breeding Guulabaa is a full-time job! Actually, it’s much more than a full-time job, requiring an army of volunteers to prepare soil, plant, grow, and harvest our koalas’ much-needed food supply. Each koala can consume up to a kilo of leaf each day, and they can be fussy about which Eucalypt species they eat. Leaf needs to be harvested and prepared in a particular way.

To keep up with demand, Koala Conservation Australia manages two large-scale Koala Food Tree Plantations:

Maria River Plantation

In2014, we purchased a 230-acre property north of Port Macquarie. Since then, we’ve planted over 12,500 koala food trees on the property. Planting, managing, and harvesting have been collaborative efforts by staff, volunteers, and generous partners. We fund this via sponsors, partners, and our Conservation Fund.

The purpose of the Conservation Fund is to conserve, protect, and restore habitat areas for wild koalas.

This property also assists other fauna and flora, especially conservation-reliant species, in surviving alongside the koala.

Moripo Park Plantation

Moripo Park, a 100-hectare property owned by a Charitable Foundation, offered 20 hectares to the Koala Hospital in late 2018 for growing koala food trees, and as a research station. Charles Sturt University students are involved in planting and research at the site.

Over 1,500 trees have been planted using innovative techniques, and the plantation has been used as a demonstration site for planning reforestation. Regular maintenance is carried out, and a facilities shed has been built.