These fantastic volunteers, who just hoped to make a difference, had already spent four days helping Merricks Beach Foreshore Committee of Management and Balnarring Beach Foreshore Committee of Management to weed and plant Koala habitat west of Somers.

The planning for this day began more than two years ago with a public meeting in Somers, at Coolart, and then with many subsequent meetings at Balnarring’s Western Port Yacht Club. These meetings identified the need for urgent replanting and replacement of Koala feed trees into the coastal strip from Flinders to Somers.

Coast Action/Coast Care made it possible for Somers to have the volunteers working on Somers Reserve. Zeng Xian Zhen, Ting Nga Hung, Tong Ho Cheng, Hon Kee Chin, Ong Hoao Fung, Wong Mei Ting and Tsang Hiu Sin came all the way from China, Marie Verschveren from Belgium, Jen Smith and Dom Kazmierczak from England and Matt Hall, from CVA, co-ordinated and organised, feed and transported, doctored and instructed and worked very hard alongside the volunteers, mulching and planting.

Kathryn Little from DSE was a tower of strength and energy during the SFCM’s work. Anne Doran and Anneke Fortuyn represented the Somers C of M’s friends group with Peter Hohaus and Rosemary Birney representing the C of M.

Friday 16 June 2006 was a great and a fun day.

There will need to be many more trees planted to achieve the desired out come but this was a very special day and week for the Koalas of the Rocky Shelf coastline and is the promise of better times to come.