Tuesday leaf harvesters, Roy and Kevin, reported for duty at the usual time. Inspecting what leaf was on hand, they decided all that was needed for the day would be three buckets (four at the most) of forest red and tallowood, so they think that will not take them long and they will have plenty of time to take old leaf to the tip as well.

In no time they harvested the two mentioned species and were setting off with their load to the care centre when Kay called Kevin on his mobile, reporting a property owner out Tucki way had rung in offering tallowood leaf from a tree being being lopped on his macadamia farm. Please go out there and get as much as you can otherwise it will be wasted, was the message.

Roy and Kevin obeyed and found our koala-conscious property owner only too willing for the men to take whatever they required. And his tree lopper would even cut limbs to size for the care centre to use for climbing perches for the koalas. The latter also promised to get in touch with the centre whenever lopping other potential koala food trees in the future.

Before leaving, the property owner showed our harvesters other trees on his farm he would not mind offering up as koala food. We felt that while we were happy to take any leaf we could we would rather the trees stay put for the local resident koalas.

Roy and Kevin finally departed, thankful for what the property owner and his tree lopper wanted to do for our furry friends and wishing there were more like them. What was to be a short day's work finished up being half a day and instead of filling three bins we topped up seven (I think I lost count). Enough anyway to give the next day's rostered leaf harvesters the day off.

Sumitted by Kevin Elsley