The Field Guide to Koala Habitat Trees - Far North Coast NSW is helping communities across the Northern Rivers better understand and protect koala habitat.
Produced over an 18-month period, the guide was developed as a practical tool for conservation practitioners, bush regenerators, landholders and anyone involved in koala habitat restoration across the Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Kyogle and Richmond Valley areas.
Designed as a quick-reference tool, the guide allows users to identify tree species by their most obvious field characteristics, making it easier to spot and protect koala habitat on the ground. Funded by the NSW Koala Strategy and WWF-Australia, Byron Shire Council led the early development, with ecological consultants Earthscapes subcontracted to write and compile the guide. The project was a true collaborative effort, with all partners regularly meeting to share ideas, solve challenges and refine the content.
To help communities make the most of the guide, the NSW Koala Strategy has engaged Earthscapes to deliver 12 hands-on workshops across the region. So far, 9 workshops have recently been completed, reaching bush regenerators, landholders, Friends of the Koala volunteers, leaf collectors, and other community members. Two sessions were specifically tailored for First Nations rangers and community members, with another targeted workshop planned for early 2026.
Key workshop learnings
Through these workshops, a few clear lessons have emerged:
- participants gain valuable insights from the guide, no matter their prior knowledge
- workshops are most effective when they consider participants' experience, interests and learning preferences
- confidence grows through hands-on experience, particularly when learning to identify features like the 6 bark types
- accurate tree identification sometimes requires further research, seasonal observations, or additional specimens due to natural variation or limited material
- seeing people use the guide in the field helped developers understand what worked and what didn't, and feedback from the workshops has been incorporated to make the guide more user-friendly.
These workshops are not just about teaching people how to use a guide, they are about building local capability, improving habitat identification skills and empowering communities to actively support local koala populations and their habitat.
