Koala Habitat Boost- 500 Trees Planted by Local Community! (2026)

On Sunday the 22^nd of February 2026 the Port Macquarie Hastings community came together to plant 500 trees to boost biodiversity, create much needed koala habitat and create a wildlife corridor. This initiative was a collaboration between Hastings Landcare, Rural landholders and supported by Koala Conservation Australia. The day saw 500 local native species planted including Swamp Mahogany, Forest Red Gum, Grey Gum, Tallowwood, Red Mahogony, Pink Bloodwood, Wattles, Paperbarks, Cheese Trees and Native Hibiscus.

Why this project matters?

The Port Macquarie Hastings Region is rich in biodiversity and diverse ecosystems. Local Landcare Coordinator Stephen Allwood says, “ We are extremely lucky in this area to have such a diversity of habitats and wildlife. Our area supports many threatened and vulnerable species that we need to look after and protect. These species include the glossy black cockatoo, Masked Owl, Greater Glider, swift Parrot and of course our koalas”. According to NSW State of Environment 2024, the continuing decline of native vegetation threatens the health of humans, wildlife and ecosystems.

Extending and connecting koala habitat via revegetation is one important way of looking after threatened species such as koalas. Koala Conservation Australia representative says, “ Creating corridors and habitat patches supports koala by creating safe passageways for movement between core habitats, promotes genetic diversity, provides addition food and shelter sources, as well as local population resilience in event such as bushfire or drought’. Habitat fragmentation places a lot of strain on our wildlife so maintaining and creating robust wildlife corridors is crucial in efforts to protect threatened species.

Community

The community can play a vital role in the conservation of wildlife including advocacy, joining community tree planting days and planting native species in their own back yard or property. Jon Bailey says, “ The community planting day we hosted was great. We had around thirty people come along and help plant 500 trees, Hastings Landcare helped with species section, how to plant, what tree guards to use and with the preparation”. Community planting days bring the community together to make a positive environmental impact.

This Community Planting Day was supported by NSW Government under the NSW Koala Strategy.

If you are interested in hosting a community planting day or planting local native species in your garden contact Hastings Landcare.