1000 plants for endangered possums

The community will come together this Sunday, June 4, to help one of the region’s most vulnerable critters.

Volunteers will be planting 1,000 native seedlings as part of National Tree Day, using seedlings granted from Planet Ark’s Seedling Bank program.

One of the main native seedlings being planted is a sedge, which is important for the western ringtail possum. They use the sedge to move safely away from predators and to shelter from heat.

“We hope to improve habitat for the critically endangered western ringtail possum and to provide the community with the opportunity to be part of the solution,” GeoCatch Natural Resource Officer Nicole Lincoln said.

Western ringtail possums are only found in the south west of Western Australia. They build nests or resting places called ‘Dreys’ from foliage. The team of volunteers will be planting canopy trees and native understorey to support the possums with their efforts to build a home.

“Our species list will compliment last year’s planting to provide a full species range on site,” Ms Lincoln said.

The National Tree Day campaign launched in 2019, with the goal of supplying native seedlings to schools and community groups participating in National Tree Day activities across the country.

“The Seedling Bank is our way of giving back to the thousands of Australian volunteers who roll up their sleeves each year to give something back to the environment as part of National Tree Day,” Planet Ark CEO Rebecca Gilling said.

“We have already directly supported over 132 groups in their efforts to plant almost 80,000 native trees, shrubs and grasses since the program’s inception.”

If you want to get involved in GeoCatch’s plan to help local possums create a better habitat, head to treeday.planetark.org.