Land managers and community members have taken part in a community day supporting koala conservation through tree planting, research updates and on-ground learning.
Landholders, community members and conservation partners gathered in Numeralla for Cold Country Koala Community Day, led by South East Local Land Services in partnership with the NSW Koala Strategy and Landcare.
The day opened with a Welcome to Country by Uncle Warren Foster, including a smoking ceremony to cleanse participants and the site ahead of planting. This set the tone for a collaborative day focused on caring for Country and strengthening koala habitat.
More than 30 land managers and community members attended, rolling up their sleeves to plant 60 koala habitat trees, led by Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare with the support of Wagtail Natives Nursery. The plantings will help expand and connect habitat for local koala populations over time.
Participants heard directly from South East Local Land Services and the NSW Koala Strategy on habitat restoration achievements, local koala surveys, tracking and disease analysis. These insights are helping build a clearer picture of koala populations and inform targeted conservation action.
The NSW Rural Fire Service spoke about fire management and the threat bushfires pose to koalas in the Southern Tablelands. Participants learnt about the impacts of African lovegrass, an invasive weed that limits native plant regrowth, increases fuel loads and contributes to fast-moving, high-intensity fires in koala habitat.
The event also included a fire truck display which featured artwork by Ngarigo artist Gail Neuss, inspired by Southern Tablelands koalas and the Monaro landscape.
The community day highlighted the vital role of local communities in protecting koalas and demonstrated how partnerships across agencies and organisations are driving on-ground action.
