Koala Retreat were delighted to be invited to organise a Koala Tree Planting Day at the school.

Koala Retreat staff, teachers and students had a lot of fun when the tree planting day finally came around on Friday, 18 March 2022. The famous ‘Koala Chief’ and the ‘Koala Man’ put on their ‘Koala Show’ in which they explained to the students why trees are so important.

Theory was then swiftly put into action – with enthusiastic students planting 42 trees on the school grounds. It seemed the students didn’t even realise how hard they were all working, because they were so focussed on the tasks at hand. Time had become irrelevant. It was a very positive and enjoyable experience.

One of the things the students learnt was the importance of trees to our koalas. So little is known about the secret relationship between koalas and their trees. Gum trees and other types of trees are obviously an important food source for koalas. But trees are valuable in many other ways.

Many questions about koalas do not have a simple answer. For example: Why do koalas pick one tree over another? And: How are koalas’ facial features a part of this story? Think about it. Why are koalas’ ears and noses so large compared to their small eyes?

Koala ears are so large because they are part of a koala’s defence mechanism. It is to protect koalas from their enemies below, to allow them to hear every little noise on the ground and around them. As a senior koala keeper who’s been studying different koala behaviours over the years, I have learnt to understand the meanings of the different ways koalas use their ears.

Koala noses are also very large, because they smell their way through the forest to pick out certain trees to feed on.

Koala eyes on the other hand are small and only support them close-up, like bumping into branches and other objects. It’s the scent that each tree carries through the night that dictates the main movements of a koala.

Koala Retreat founder Marcus the Koala Man also brought along some copies of his new educational children’s book “Intergalactic Space Farting Koalas”. The book forms part of the process of educating students and others about koala behaviour, in the wild and in zoos. Its educational pieces are wrapped in the story about two koalas, Matt & Jack. Matt is a koala in captivity (a ‘capo’) and Jack is a wild koala (a ‘devil’). They meet under most stressful circumstances, an approaching massive bushfire.

Presenting the tree day to the Luddenham Public School students and writing the book “Intergalactic Space Farting Koalas” is our way of taking a holistic approach to koala conservation, with education being a key.

Hopefully, the students have come away with a greater appreciation of the importance of protecting and planting trees, for the benefit of koalas, but also us humans.

About Koala Retreat: Koala Retreat is a professional koala diet and behaviour consultancy. We provide husbandry advice to the zoological sector, helping them to achieve both, short- and long-term goals, for improved economic and environmental outcomes. Happier, healthier koalas increase staff morale and are ultimately better for a sustainable business.

 

 

 

Contact

For further information, please contact Marcus, the Koala Man.

Email:

Websites: www.koalaretreat.com.au & www.spacekoalas.com