Koala lovers unite – do your bit to help our local population!
Published on 23 November 2023
Science enthusiasts and animal lovers are being called upon to help the Coffs Coast’s koala population this weekend - by becoming fully-fledged citizen scientists!
This Saturday, community members can sign up for a workshop at the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden where they will learn how to register koala sightings.
The event is part of a series of koala workshops being run by the City of Coffs Harbour over the next eight months aimed at boosting local knowledge of the important Aussie icon. The action-based education sessions will involve community members and eight school groups.
The City has partnered with the Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance to run the educational program as part of Cores, Corridors and Koalas – a partnership between Great Eastern Ranges and WWF-Australia to restore and connect critical habitat for forest-dependent wildlife.
Other events coming up include:
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Koala scat ID on 24 February where participants will learn how to identify and collect koala scat for DNA sampling. This is important in knowing the health of our local population.
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Koala Feed Tree planting on 20 April.
The City’s acting Director City Planning and Communities Ian Fitzgibbon said that although the local koala population is currently doing well, it is still at risk from ongoing pressures and threats, and that schools and the broader community can get involved to give the population a helping hand.
“The Koala Education Program is part of the City’s Sustainable Living Program. It’s a unique program connecting the City with schools in a hands-on way and growing awareness of this important initiative,” said Mr Fitzgibbon.
“We found that there is a lot of interest and need in the broader community for education on koalas if we are to ensure that the species continues to thrive here. This program will help to fill that gap as well as provide community groups with a chance to help care for and support our resident koalas,” he said.
Coffs Harbour is one of the few regions that still hosts a healthy population of the endangered species. Koala numbers in Australia have halved in the last 20 years due to habitat loss and fragmentation, disease, vehicle strikes, catastrophic bushfires and other ongoing threats.
CAPTION: Community members taking part in the first koala workshop at the Coffs Harbour Regional Botanic Gardens on 4 November.