Koalas are one of Australia’s most loved native animals. Tragically, they’re also an endangered species, largely due to land clearing and bushfires.
Linda Sparrow is determined to help restore her local koalas’ habitat. The co-founder and president of Bangalow Koalas dedicates much of her time and energy to securing grants and donations to cover the costs of establishing a koala wildlife corridor through New South Wales’ Northern Rivers region.
Since 2019, Linda’s efforts have led to the planting of more than 336,000 trees on more than 119 planting sites. The community-driven organisation aims to plant 500,000 trees by the end of 2025.
Linda has encouraged local landowners to make their properties available to be part of the koala corridors, which will also be home to other native species.
Her achievements were acknowledged by The Australian Geographic Society in 2022 when it named her the Conservationist of the Year.