On the trail of gourmet gum leaves

Improving the nutritional quality of landscapes has tasty benefits

Koalas are one of the most iconic and beloved animals in Australia and a new project focuses on their long-term survival. A unique research project, involving a collaboration between Redland City Council and the Australian National University, is looking specifically at the nutritional quality of what these cuddly marsupials eat.

Dubbed the ‘gourmet gum leaves’ project, it is aimed at improving landscape nutritional quality which will assist in koala conservation and management.

ANU College of Science Research Fellow

Kara Youngentob said the primary goal of the project’s first phase was to evaluate and map the nutritional quality of eucalyptus trees at selected Redlands Coast sites. This involved vegetation surveys and the collection of leaves and seeds from relevant trees.

“The project has a citizen science component,” Kara said. “We are working with Council officers, community volunteers at the IndigiScapes Nursery, and landscape restoration groups such as Bushcare, to collect and propagate seedlings to plant at identified sites for revegetation