Australia will plant 25 million trees over the next five years to aid bushfire recovery, in what will become one of the country’s largest-ever restoration projects.
The initiative will cover 20,000 hectares of land and generate habitats for dozens of threatened and endangered animals. The trees are also expected to lift 4.25 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the environment over a quarter century.
Five million trees a year will be planted in every Australian state, except the Northern Territory, with a particular focus on Eucalyptus punctata and Eucalyptus melliodora trees. The two tree species have been selected because they are the diet of koalas — one of the bushfire’s worst hit animal species.
She-oak trees will also be planted as they are a vital food source for the glossy black cockatoo, which lost between 50-80% of their feeding habitat in the fires.
AstraZeneca, EverGreening Alliance and Greening Australia have united for the project, which officially launched this week when the first batch of trees, some 20,000 were planted in southeast New South Wales (NSW).
Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living.
