Ballarat Wildlife Park’s ‘Branching Out for Koalas’ Campaign are sponsoring the planting of  native trees across Victoria at known koala habitat sites. 

Ballarat Wildlife Park is dedicated to the care and conservation of native Australian wildlife, with a special focus on koalas, kangaroos, and reptiles. Through its conservation programs, education initiatives, and partnerships, the Park aims to foster a deeper connection between the public and Australia’s unique fauna. The Ballarat Wildlife Park is home to the largest colony of koalas in Victoria, due it highly successful breeding program.

Both Ballarat Wildlife Park and Fifteen Trees are excited to be continuing the sponsorship of native trees to Fifteen Trees as part of its ong|oing ‘Branching Out for Koalas’ campaign. This partnership is aimed at enhancing local biodiversity and supporting koala habitats across Victoria.

The ‘Branching Out for Koalas’ campaign was launched to combat the ongoing threats to koalas posed by habitat loss, bushfires, and climate change. This hands-on approach will create new habitats and support exciting ecosystems that are vital to the survival of Australia’s beloved koalas.

We’re thrilled to team up with Fifteen Trees in this crucial effort. Koalas are an iconic Australian species, and with increasing threats to their natural environment, it’s never been more important to ensure they have access to suitable habitats. Planting these native trees is just the beginning of a broader initiative to safeguard their future.

Julia Leonard | Park Curator | Ballarat Wildlife Park

The trees are in the process of being planted across several regions in Victoria. The sites have been chosen for their potential to regenerate wildlife corridors that are essential for koalas to thrive. In addition to improving koala habitat, this initiative will have broader ecological benefits, including carbon sequestration, soil regeneration, and the creation of environments for other native wildlife species.

Over the course of 2025, koala habitat trees were planted at the following Victorian sites. This blogpost is updated, as we gather feedback and photos.

• Site A | Napoleans/Enfield | 500 trees
• Site B | Mornington Peninsula | 500 trees
• Site C | Cape Otway | 100 trees
• Site D | Western Port Bay | 1,000 trees

Site A | Napoleans, VIC | 500 trees

This planting took place at Scotchmans Lead Reserve in an area between Union Jack Creek and Yarmlok Plain, Napoleons, VIC. On the traditional land of the Wadawurrung People. It is here that the Napoleons and Enfield Landcare Group Inc (NELG) are rehabilitating the riparian zone (the areas of land that border rivers, streams, creeks, gullies, and wetlands) along the Yarrowee and Union Jack Creek.

NELG have been rehabilitating this particular site since 1996. Carrying out duties such as:

• planning on going revegetation projects,
• fencing off sensitive sites,
• planting native trees, shrubs and grasses,
• re-establishing frog ponds,
• and instigating weed and pest control.

The new bushland is now home to frogs, rakali (native water rat) echidnas, koalas, wallabies and possums, and associated invertebrate life such as dragonflies, bees and insects. The predominate birds are birds of prey which do well at this site, but the increasing diversity of trees and shrubs is helping to increase the bird species number from about 6 (2010) to over 40 (2025). Kangaroos and koalas are also now present.

We are very pleased to have sponsors contributing this work that we have undertaken for many years. The results are now speaking for themselves, and more people than ever are interested and aware of the importance of protecting and restoring our environment. Financial support is so useful to get things done well and it also represents moral support – which is very motivating

Jenny Ryle | President | Napoleans Enfield Landcare Group Inc.

While there is no dominant native flora species (as the area had been stripped through past gold mining and neglect), there is a natural woodland comprising of manna gums and swamp gums with many shrub and lower layers including native grasses. It is this area that the team from NELG are working towards restoring.

The newly planted trees (eucalyptus, acacias, banksias, hakeas and lomandra) will create shade along the river and provide shelter for fish and even platypus. The tall trees will provide protection from strong winds and eventually will protect the riparian area from the ravages of floods. At present there is a trackway for walkers to see and enjoy the river.

Site B | Mornington Peninsula, VIC | 500 trees

One of the primary causes of the decline in koalas and other wildlife on the Mornington Peninsula (traditional lands of the Burin’yong Bulluk, a clan of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung) is habitat loss resulting from land clearing and urban expansion. Research indicates that approximately 70% of koala habitat exists on private land, and the remaining native vegetation is too fragmented to allow safe movement for koalas and other species. By collaborating with landowners and planting indigenous trees and shrubs on private properties, The Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation (MPKC) group is working to restore and expand wildlife habitat, promote landscape connectivity, and help secure a future for native animals.

The Peninsula is recognised for its diverse vegetation and wildlife, particularly within its foreshore and park areas. The area boasts a variety of Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) and is home to numerous native plant and animal species. Balcombe Estuary Reserve is a 53-hectare reserve rich in biodiversity and home to numerous species of flora and fauna offering walking tracks and boardwalks that meander alongside Balcombe Creek, extending from the coast through to the Nepean Highway and on to The Briars. This planting site provides great connectivity to the Balcombe Estuary.

Some of the species planted included, Messmate, Gums (Snow, Narrow-leaf Pepprmint and Manna), Wattles (Black and Blackwood), Sheokes (Black and Swamp), Swamp Paperbarks, Yellow Hakeas and a variety of Tea-trees. All plants were selected with the relevant Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) profiles in mind.

This Peninsula is home to a huge variety of wildlife including mammals such as Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Swamp Wallabies, Koalas, Echidnas, Sugar Gliders, Microbats, Southern Brown Bandicoots, Swamp Rat, and White-footed Dunnar. Bird species include Laughing Kookaburra, Superb Fairy-wren, Eastern Rosella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Spotted Pardalote, Black Swan, White-faced Heron, Hoary-headed Grebe, Golden Whistler, Grey Fantail, Brown Thornbill, Little Lorikeet, Blue-billed Duck, Singing, Honeyeater, Bell Miner, White-throated Treecreeper, Australian Owlet-nightjar, Lewin’s Rail, Freckled Duck. And frog species found here include, Common Froglet, Southern Bull Frog, Spotted Marsh Frog, Southern Brown Tree Frog, Verreaux’s Tree Frog and the State-significant Southern Toadlet.

Thank you Ballarat Wildlife Park for your generous support. On behalf of Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation, I’d like to express our sincere thanks for your valued support in funding trees for our habitat restoration work.

Your support has played a crucial role in helping us reach this point of 100,000 trees. The continued generosity of organisations like yours enables us to expand this vital work, restoring essential koala habitat and strengthening local biodiversity. We welcome everyone to join us at one of our upcoming planting events.

Dirk Jansen | President | Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation

Site C | Cape Otway | 100 trees

The mixture of trees (River Gums, Manna Gums, Messmate and Sheoak) were planted by 44 members of the local community on Saturday August 2^nd, organised by the Southern Otway Landcare Network (SOLN) as part of the Cape Otway Restoration Project. The trees were sourced from the community nursery at Apollo Bay, where they had been grown from seed collected from the local district.

Over the course of the morning, the canopy trees slowly made their way into the ground. Each tree was carefully planted and guarded with wire mesh and stakes to keep kangaroos and wombats from nibbling the new leaves.  This on-going project at Cape Otway encompasses various initiatives focused on environmental conservation, including tree planting, weed control, pest control and maintenance of existing trees of significance.

The Cape Otway Restoration Project also focuses on managing the population of wild koalas and their habitat to ensure a sustainable future for this unique Australian animal.  The project aims to address restore the health of the Manna Gum woodlands that koalas rely on.

Site D | Western Port Bay | 1,000 trees

The trees were planted as part of the Western Port Koala Corridor Project with the Western Port Biosphere Project across 2 sites at Pearcedale (Tyabb /Tooradin Rd and Nursery Lane). This district is Bunurong country, part of the South Eastern Kulin Nation. Both planting events were very enriching for the volunteers, 20 at Pearcedale and 50 at Nursery Lane. Many had not planted trees before and therefor learned a lot about planting and also about koalas and the situation they face right now with loss of habitat.

The region is part of the Western Port Biosphere Reserve, of which is the only Biosphere Reserve in Victoria … so a very special place. The area is very flat and has been used for fruit growing and market gardens over the years. The dominant species across this landscape are Tee Tree, Eucalypts and Wattles, however the region is extremely fragmented by heavy farming practices and urban growth. Many areas have undergone flooding and Eucalypts along creek lines are dead or dying. The soil in this region is very sandy and dry with many rabbits present.

Big thanks to sponsors of Fifteen Trees for helping us grow the Western Port Koala Corridor! Every tree planted brings us one step closer to a safer, greener future for koalas. Your help in funding this project is very much appreciated

Kelly Smith | President | Western Port Biosphere Foundation

In the interests of biodiversity, over 50 different species of native plants were planted. These plants were a mixture of large trees, tall shrubs, groundcovers, and grasses. All sourced from Peninsula Bushworks, an indigenous plant nursery on the Mornington Peninsula. Species included, Eucalyptus (River Red Gum, Silver Stringybark, Swamp Gum, Snow Gum and Manna Gum), Acacia (Black Wattle, Blackwood and Coastal Wattle), Sheokes, Coastal Tea-tree, Scented Paperbark, Banksia, Hakea, Kangaroo Apple and grasses (Tall Sedge, Wallaby Grass, Austral Rush, Weeping Grass and Tussock Grass.

These trees will help to link up existing bushland where koalas live and or move through the landscape and aiding in an increase of their genetic diversity. The trees will also provide habitat for other wildlife and help to improve soil quality on and around private properties. More trees in the landscape will help stop erosion and soil runoff and improve the waterways entering the wetlands of the Western Port Bay (Ramsar listed).

The area that the group are focusing on are also home to kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and many species of birds. We are particularly focussed on creating habitat for the Threatened Powerful Owl and the Endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot. Both species, as well as the others mentioned, use these corridors to travel through the landscape. It is essential that corridors are created to limit islands of isolated bushland where species can become locally extinct because of lack of genetic diversity.

The partnership between Ballarat Wildlife Park and Fifteen Trees signifies a long-term commitment to environmental sustainability. Moving forward, both organisations aim to expand their reforestation efforts, engaging the community in tree-planting events and educational programs designed to raise awareness about the critical role habitat restoration plays in wildlife conservation.

Working with Ballarat Wildlife Park allows us to combine resources and expertise in a way that has real, lasting impact. Koalas are one of many species that stand to benefit from the trees we are planting, and we’re proud to be a part of this important conservation effort.

Colleen Filippa | Founding Director | Fifteen Trees

Koalas, one of our most beloved natives, are facing significant challenges both locally and nationally. Their numbers are dwindling due to threats like disease, dog attacks, and road hazards. The greatest danger, however, comes from habitat loss as the trees they rely on are increasingly felled. Today, koalas are confined to small pockets of remnant bushland or isolated in narrow strips of marginal habitat. These areas leave them vulnerable and eager to disperse. 

You can find BWP trees (2,000) from 2024 here.

If you would like to know more about sponsoring community tree planting projects and how we can assist you in becoming a more sustainable business, please contact Colleen at <[email protected]>.

Writer: Colleen B. Filippa

With a background in Environmental Science, Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees. In 2009, after 20 years in primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions, Colleen left the classroom to start the company. Fifteen Trees is a social enterprise assisting individuals and companies to reduce their carbon footprint by supporting community groups such as Landcare, schools and environmental networks.