The planting day is the first step in a larger 1.1 ha koala habitat revegetation project, that will also contribute to stabilising the bank of the Mary River. In total, 2,750 trees and shrubs will be planted, supported by ongoing care, monitoring and maintenance to give the young plants the best chance to thrive.

Tuan Environment Reserve. Credit: Sunshine Coast Council.

Tuan Environment Reserve is one of the Sunshine Coast’s important conservation areas, covering 200 hectares of bushland along the Mary River. It also forms part of a larger wildlife corridor linking nearby protected areas. Restoring native vegetation here will help connect koala habitat and make it easier for wildlife to move safely through the landscape.

The project has been guided by the 2025 SEQ Areas of Regional Koala Significance, which helps identify important koala habitat and links across the region. The property is located next to a habitat connecting buffer, a Koala Priority Area and core koala habitat, making it an important place to strengthen habitat connections and support koalas over the long term.

Recent surveys show why this work matters. In 2024, 21 individual koalas were recorded in and around the reserve, with low levels of disease detected. These results helped guide the planting project so restoration efforts support areas where koalas are already living and moving.

The reserve is also home to other threatened plants and animals, including the endangered Glossy Black-Cockatoo, tusked frog, black-breasted button-quail, grey-headed flying-fox, Macadamia ternifolia and three-leaved bosistoa. Planting more native vegetation will provide extra food, shelter and habitat for these species too.

Healthy Land & Water Environmental Project Manager, Indigo Kuss-Patterson volunteering planting trees at the Tuan Reserve (left), and Cedar from UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation with detection dog, Summer (right). Credit: Sunshine Coast Council.

Volunteers also had the chance to meet the UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation team and learn more about local koalas. The day was an easy way for families, first-time planters and experienced volunteers to get involved and make a practical difference.

The project is delivered by Healthy Land & Water with funding from the Queensland Government’s Restore & Reconnect Koala Habitat initiative and delivered in partnership with Sunshine Coast Council, Traditional Owners, landholders and community groups. By working together and continuing to care for the site over time, the partners are helping turn one community planting day into lasting habitat for koalas and other wildlife.