Koala project needs a few more helping hands

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Conservation Volunteers Australia member Geoff Francis took photos of these local koalas while taking part in the Koala Conservation Project.
More helping hands needed: Conservation Volunteers Australia member Geoff Francis took photos of local koalas while taking part in the Koala Conservation Project.

Over the past 12 months Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) has been gathering information about koalas that live between Campbelltown and the Southern Highlands.

As part of the Koala Conservation Project, CVA members have been working alongside the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH).

“Koalas are an icon of our region and to protect their future we need to gather as much information as we can to understand their behaviour,’’ says Adam Woods, the regional manager of CVA.

“CVA have been working closely with OEH since 2015, and we have provided information to help inform their research that will lead to us better understand this population of iconic koalas,” he said.

“The project has illustrated the broad range of tree species that are important to our local koala population and the vast array of wildlife such as glossy black cockatoos, lace monitors, echidnas and wallaroos.

“It is fantastic to involve volunteers in such valuable work, and provide them with an opportunity to experience the unique wildlife in our region,” Mr Woods said.

Linda Bell, the Saving our Species program manager at OEH, said volunteers provided invaluable support to many threatened species projects.

“CVA and their volunteers have been instrumental in helping us keep an eye on the koalas in the Wollondilly Shire,” says Ms Bell.

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Volunteers work alongside us to monitor where these koalas live, how they move about, what they are eating and where they shelter – providing invaluable data for the local Koala Conservation Project,” Ms Bell said.[/social_quote]

But more volunteers are now needed to complee the project.

CVA, in partnership with South 32 – Illawarra Coal and OEH are calling on local residents to participate in citizen science surveys for koalas.

“Our dedicated volunteers have been tracking several koalas throughout the Appin and Wilton areas and we would love more people to come on board and assist with this project,’’ says Mr Woods.

Volunteers get firsthand experience radio tracking koalas and participate in collection of valuable data such as tree species, dimensions and habitat condition.

This project takes place on most Fridays throughout December, January and February, as well as the occasional weekend each month.

To find out more or to book your place head to the website conservationvolunteers.com.au or phone 4228 9246.

 

 

3 thoughts on “Koala project needs a few more helping hands”

  1. Along the Moorebank Intermodal site along Moorebank Avenue they are clearing a lot of the land and that has resultedin many koala habitat trees being destroyed and if you look on our raid facebook page you will see a tragic picture of a dead koala and our governments are covering it all up to progress their dirty rotten Moorebank Intermodal freight Hub what is the point of having governments who are hell bent on destroying our wildlife

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