Purga family working hard to give koalas a helping hand
Koalas are getting a helping hand from one dedicated Purga family who is turning their 70-acre property near Ipswich into a wildlife paradise.
For the past 14 months, Sam Einam and her family have dedicated most of their spare time to regenerating the sprawling property they purchased several years ago.
A few weeks after they took ownership, the Einam family was exploring the property when they spotted a male koala perched in a tree.
The furry sighting inspired the Einam family to start work on transforming their land into a diverse wildlife habitat offering an ideal home for koalas and many other native wildlife and flora.
With funding and support from Healthy Land & Water, Ipswich City Council, and the National Landcare Program, the Einam family have planted hundreds of native trees, cleared invasive weeds, fenced off the property’s creek, de-silted a dam and eradicated pest species that were severely impacting biodiversity in the area.
On Saturday, January 13, the Einam family hosted an open day at their Purga property to showcase the progress so far.
Experts from Ipswich City Council hosted the open day and provided attendees with valuable tips and information about rehabilitating the land.
The Ipswich Koala Protection Society was also on hand and spoke passionately about the plight of koalas in South East Queensland and ways landholders can help by making their properties attractive to koalas.
A very cuddly mascot named Scarlett was also on show to provide guests with an up-close and personal experience with a koala.
Guests were then led on a private tour of the rapidly changing landscape, and the positive impacts of the family’s hard work were on display.
Grassland that had been previously overgrazed and littered with weeds was showing clear signs of recovery as native grass took hold, while Blue Gum tree saplings planted over the past year were growing rapidly due to the improvement in soil condition and generous rain.
Sam Einam said wildlife including koalas and possums are already returning to the area and she believed more fauna will populate the areas as biodiversity improves and the eradication of pests and weeds continues.
“This is a long-term project and we probably won’t be around to see a lot of the benefits from our work, but it’s something we’ll be able to pass on to our son,” she said.
“He’s just as passionate about the land as we are.”
Ms. Einam said landholders can improve the environmental health of their properties by making use of the many free education and support tools that exist in South East Queensland.
Healthy Land & Water is hosting a free Soil Health Workshop with David Hall at Perseverance on January 23. For more details click here.
Healthy Land & Water is also hosting a Pasture Management and Establishment Workshop at Perseverance with Brian Johnston on February 21. For more information click here.
For more information on the Einam Family’s property and its partnership with Ipswich City Council, click here.
To find out more about the vital work being done by the Ipswich Koala Protection Society, click here.