News and Events
Keep up with the latest news and events happening around Wild Koala Day and the conservation of Koalas in the Wild.
Koala News & Science November 2021
“Do we love koalas enough?” Stuart Blanch asks ABC radio; New koala colony west of Sydney found as a result of COVID lockdowns; Koalas once again the focus of Climate Change protests; Wildlife rescuers trained to check bushfire areas sooner; Tweed Council pushes back against SEPP; Funding for Gippsland Landcare groups to plant trees; Koala deaths on road reduced around Emerald;
Petition to protect 200 hectares of koala forest receives 24,970 signatures;
Cherry Tree SF declared core Koala Habitat; Koala researcher wins Australian Academy of Science grant; Planting trees for koalas in Australian Geographic
KOALA SCIENCE: Mitchell, Soto-Berelov, Jones Regional Variation in Forest Canopy Height and Implications of Koala Habitat Mapping and Forest and Forest Management. Melzer & Black. Koala road kills are linked to landscape attributes on Central Queensland’s Peak Downs Highway. Law, Gonsvales, Burgar, Brassil, Kerr, Wilmott, Madden, Smith, Mella, Crowther, Krockenberger, Rus, Pietsch, Truskinger, Eichinski, Roe. Estimating and validating koala density estimates from acoustic arrays using spatial count modelling. FEATURE PAPER: Ellis, Melzer, Clifton, Carrick; (2010) Climate change and the koala: water and energy.
Koala News & Science October 2021
Koala genome in public domain, Restor launches using koala tree planting as case study, Chlamydia vaccine trials, 9000 trees planted for koalas at Gunnedah NSW, Snowy-Monaro Koalas released after fires are doing well, NSW Minister admits Government not doing enough, FLINTpro assesses carbon capture of a koala tree plantation VIC, Areas removed from logging thanks to conservation group, Coffs Coast NSW, Koala NFT (cryptocurrency) art raises money for koala rehabilitation, Koala detection dog gets international award. Koala Science: Lunney, A six-year study of mitigating koala roadkill during an upgrade of the Pacific Highway at Lindsay’s cutting, Coffs Harbour New South Wales.Pahuja & Narayan, Indexing Baselines: Determining Physiological Stress in Rescued Orphaned Koala Joeys Under Rehabilitation by Comparing Faecal Cortisol Levels Between Healthy and Impaired Individuals.Feature Paper: Moore & Foley (2000) A review of feeding and diet selection in koalas
Koala News & Science September 2021
Koalas the symbol of Australian climate inaction at COP26; Restor revegetation platform launches on October 13; Fundraising for more koala road signs at Bangalow NSW; Bylong Coal Mine rejected NSW; Study underway to learn about how koalas cope with fires; Campaign to make ecocide an international crime progresses; Drones survey for koalas around Port Stephens NSW; Plight of Macarthur/Campbelltown (Sydney) koalas on ABC radio; Cryptocurrency alliance announces fundraiser for tree planting, including some in Australia; 25,000 koala trees planted around Geelong region; University of Sydney scientists to make full koala genome available to all ; Dog attacks on koalas reduced, due to Griffith University program;
Funding for koala habitat in Gippsland VIC; Noosa to dress up for koalas QLD; Results from South Gippsland koala surveys VIC. Latest koala science: Dissanayake, R. B.et al Estimating koala density from incidental koala sightings in South‐East Queensland, Australia (1997–2013), using a self‐exciting spatio‐temporal point process model.; Howell, L. G. et al Drone thermal imaging technology provides a cost-effective tool for landscape-scale monitoring of a cryptic forest dwelling species across all population densities; Joyce, B. A. et al Koala retrovirus genetic diversity and transmission dynamics within captive koala populations. Feature Paper: Ward, M. et al A national-scale dataset for threats impacting Australia’s imperiled flora and fauna.
Koala News & Science August 2021
Conservation groups will soon be able to survey for wildlife using QUT AI; 21,000+ koala trees planted around the You Yangs VIC; Lindt partners with AKF on Koala Kiss Corridor project; New koala zone road signage at Goonengerry, northern NSW; Landowners in southern NSW urged to plant koala trees; 337 koalas rescued over four years by Queensland carer; Koala Hospital president awarded local tourism hero NSW; Northern NSW Landcare group plants trees for koalas; New koala group formed to urgently protect koalas in northern NSW; New video offers tips to make Gold Coast backyards safe for koalas
LATEST KOALA SCIENCE: Skerrett‐Byrne, D. A. et al, Proteomic analysis of koalaspermatozoa and prostatic bodies; Bhattacharyya, J. et al, Coexisting: The Role of Communications in Improving Attitudes towards Wildlife; Charalambous, R. et al Physiological Stress in Rescued Wild Koalas Being Held in a Rehabilitation Sanctuary: A Pilot Study. FEATURE PAPER: Brice KL et al 2019. The Koala faecal microbiome differs with diet in a wild population.
Koala News & Science July 2021
Locals, farmers & plantation timber companies fight to save Strzelecki Koalas from VicForests threat, Solar powered VHF ear tags for koalas developed by USC; Gloucester Environment Group encourage landowners to plant koala food trees; Results of study into NSW Central Coast koalas finds more than expected; Tree planting for koalas near Port Stephens/Newcastle NSW; Toormina koala habitat decision goes back to court; New plan to bring koalas back to Eurobodalla launches; NSW government offers $1.1million to business for koala tech; Manningham informs residents about koala habitat; Currumbin Waters site to be acquired for eco-parkland; Funding for koala-tracking near Coffs Harbour. LATEST SCIENCE: Richardson, A, et al. Application of low-power wide-area network GPS to koala monitoring; Schultz, B. et al, Prolonged Chilled Preservation and Preliminary Investigations of Energy Production of Koala Spermatozoa; Jessica A. Harris et al, Engaging dog trainers in a city-wide roll-out of koala aversion skill enhancement: a social marketing program; FEATURE PAPER: Patterson J. et al, THE PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CHLAMYDIA INFECTION IN ISLAND AND MAINLAND POPULATIONS OF VICTORIAN KOALAS
Koala News & Science June 2021
Bangalow Koalas’ corridor on ABC Landline; 15,000 Koala trees to be planted on Mornington Peninsula, VIC; NSW Government asked for more detail on koala plan; Koala Clancy Foundation target: 300,000 koala trees by 2030 in Little, Moorabool & Barwon River systems VIC; Public asked to contribute koala sightings on Kangaroo Island, SA; Public meeting in Tweed to discuss plight of koalas; More koala sightings in Blue Mountains; French Beauty Company supports koalas; Byron Shire Council rejected development on koala habitat, but developer takes it to appeal; Facial recognition of koalas trialled in SE Queensland; Weed removal and tree planting for koalas at Bonville Creek. LATEST KOALA SCIENCE: Marsh, K.J. et al Fundamental dietary specialisation explains differential use of resources within a koala population; Santamaria, F.et al Identification of Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) Faecal Cortisol Metabolites Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Enzyme Immunoassays; Dissanayake, R.B. et al Predicting koala distribution from incidental sighting data in South-East Queensland, Australia; Golumbic, Y. N. et al Engagement styles in an environmental citizen science project. FEATURE PAPER: Wedrowicz, F.et al. Genetic structure and diversity of the koala population in South Gippsland, Victoria: a remnant population of high conservation significance
Koala News & Science May 2021
Koala News & Science May 2021: Save Our Koalas Day of Action 5 June; 2800 koala trees planted on Raymond Island Vic; Queenslanders asked to participate in UQ survey about koalas; Koala Health and Habitat Workshop, northern NSW; New koala tourism facility progresses at Port Macquarie;Water For Wildlife launched in Lismore; Koala-suited protestors call on Forestry Corporation NSW to stop logging native forests; Greens introduce bill to support Great Koala National Park; $20,000 raised to care for koalas in Gold Coast. Latest Koala Science:Stephenson et al, Molecular Diagnosis of Koala Retrovirus (KoRV) in South Australian Koalas; Van Lange, A broader mind: concern with other humans, equality, and animals; Corcoran et al, Evaluating new technology for biodiversity monitoring: Are drone surveys biased? Feature Paper: Ellis & Bercovitch, Body size and sexual selection in the koala
Koala News & Science April 2021
KOALA NEWS & SCIENCE An informative monthly newsletter about successes & important announcements in koala conservation, and the latest scientific publications about koalas. April 2021 Subscribe here: https://mailchi.mp/808fc4af1ee0/koala-news-science Lots of...
Koala News & Science March 2021
KOALA NEWS & SCIENCE An informative monthly newsletter about successes & important announcements in koala conservation, and the latest scientific publications about koalas. March 2021 Subscribe here: https://mailchi.mp/808fc4af1ee0/koala-news-science 56,000...
Koala News & Science February 2021
KOALA NEWS & SCIENCE An informative monthly newsletter about successes & important announcements in koala conservation, and the latest scientific publications about koalas. February, 2021 Subscribe here: https://mailchi.mp/808fc4af1ee0/koala-news-science...
Koala News & Science: January 2021
New 3D genetic analysis of koalas, First koala joey in Barrington Tops protected area, NSW, Saving koalas hot environmental topic of the year, Experts warn: LendLease risks losing investors over Mt Gilead NSW, NSW government commits to just 11 of 42 recommendations to protect koalas, Koala Myths busted, Koala detecting dogs on 2GB, Drones count koalas faster, new koala book supports Koala Hospital LATEST KOALA SCIENCE: Phillips Quantifying the impacts of bushfire on populations of wild koalas: Insights from the 2019/20 fire season. IN BRIEF: Fardell et al. Are physiological and behavioural responses to stressors displayed concordantly by wild urban rodents? FEATURE PAPER: Dargan (2019), The challenge for koala conservation on private land: koala habitat use varies with season on a fragmented rural landscape.
Koala News & Science December 2020
Koalas Need More Than a Population Census, Funding for koalas in grassy woodlands, New signs in Lismore alert drivers to koala hotspots, Confirmation of numbers of koalas lost to Black Summer bushfires, QUT trains drones to detect koalas, Trees planted for drought-affected koalas around Gloucester,
Habitat for koalas in south Gippsland VIC Koala Science: David S.L. Ramsey, Long-term fertility control reduces overabundant koala populations and mitigates their impacts on food trees; Caldwell, M, How cultural branding, story‐telling, and personification can save the iconic Australian koala. Lillo, Juan Gabriel Study into the intrinsic clearance of carprofen in selected species – with emphasis in the koala. Feature Paper: Benjamin D. Charlton, Cues to body size in the formant spacing of male koala bellows: honesty in an exaggerated trait
Koala News & Science November 2020
Koala news for November 2020: Senate to block fed govt attempt to hand environmental approvals to states, Review of forestry in NSW after EPA stands up against Forestry Dept., WWF launch Regenerate Australia & Koalas Forever, Port Stephens community to help koala research, Koala News & Science gets a regular radio timeslot!, Call for Mornington Peninsula residents to join koala corridor. Latest koala science: Real-time drone derived thermal imagery outperforms traditional survey methods for an arboreal forest mammal, Phylogenetic and geographical analysis of a retrovirus during the early stages of endogenous adaptation and exogenous spread in a new host, Feature paper: Leaf oxalate content of Eucalyptus spp. and its implications for koalas with oxalate nephrosis.
Gympie Council rushes through koala-killing law
Gympie Regional Council have announced a last-minute decision to repeal two Temporary Local Planning Instruments that will lead to wholesale clearing of koala habitat, to be heard at this week’s council meeting on December 9. Local conservation groups are in shock.
Koalas Need More Than A Population Census: Open Letter to Federal Environment Minister
Koalas Need More Than A Population Census: An Open letter to the Federal Environment Minister see pdf here: Koalas Open Letter to Minister Dear Minister, We, the undersigned, who are leaders in koala conservation, habitat revegetation, rescue & rehabilitation,...
Koala News & Science October 2020
Koala emails crash NSW parliamentary system; Scientists call for Biodiversity BOM; Water Stations For Wildlife still available; 4000 Koala trees planted on Mornington Peninsula, VIC; Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary opens NSW; WWF drones to spread eucalyptus seed in fire-affected areas; Primary School students protecting koalas at Delungra NSW; 9000 trees planted for koalas along rivers near You Yangs, VIC; Chlamydia vaccine for SE Qld koalas ; Research on bushfire injuries to koalas; Girl Guides plant 2000 koala trees in Blue Mountains NSW; Koalas counted by call in Bongil Bongil NSW; Mullumbimby High school students planting trees for koalas, NSW; Red Rebel Brigade takes koala message to Macarthur NSW. New science from Charalambous R & Narayan E; Dahlhausen KE et al; Quigley, B.L., Tzipori, G., Nilsson, K. et al and feature paper by Lunney, D., Matthews, A., Moon, C. and Ferrier, S. (2000)
Koala News & Science September 2020
September 2020 newsletter about successes & important announcements in koala conservation, and the latest scientific publications about koalas: The week koala wars broke out in Australia, 25 million trees to be planted in Australia; Koalas amongst species to be considered for uplisting to endangered; WWF report quantifies koala decline in NSW firegrounds; New Koala hospital at Werribee VIC; Bangalow Koalas have planted 53,586 trees this year NSW; and Crowther et al: Comparison of three methods of estimating the population size of an arboreal mammal in a fragmented rural landscape; Robbins et al: Koala immunogenetics and chlamydial strain type are more directly involved in chlamydial disease progression in koalas from two south east Queensland koala populations than koala retrovirus subtypes. Markwell: Getting close to a national icon: an examination of the involvement of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) in Australian tourism
Koala News & Science August 2020
August 2020 informative monthly newsletter about successes & important announcements in koala conservation, and the latest scientific publications about koalas
Koala News & Science July 2020
Positive koala news and recent scientific publications for July 2020 including finding koalas with drones, tree planting at Bathurst & Port Stephens NSW, improvement to koala conditions at Gunnedah, new video series about koalas NSW Mid Coast, WIRES support for koala research, Koala road sign competition
Koala News & Science June 2020
Positive koala news and latest science June 2020
Koala News & Science May 2020
KOALA NEWS & SCIENCE An informative monthly newsletter about successes & important announcements in koala conservation, and the latest scientific publications about koalas. May, 2020 New tracking for bushfire-affected koalas NSW 24 May Science For Wildlife...
Koala News & Science April 2020
KOALA NEWS & SCIENCE An informative monthly newsletter about successes & important announcements in koala conservation, and the latest scientific publications about koalas. April, 2020 Wild Koala Day May 3 is going to be big! Organisers are calling all to...
A Noosa koala story, part 8
by Bernard Jean Day 8/10 Eighth day out of 10 of posting the story and photos of a beloved wild koala and others from Noosa National Park (NNP), before International Wild Koala Day on May 3rd, 2020. Today we’ll explore what happened in Tea Tree Bay – Noosa National...
3 new koalas together in Noosa NP
By Bernard Jean 07/10 Seventh day out of 10 of posting the story and photos of a beloved wild koala and others from Noosa National Park (NNP), before International Wild Koala Day on May 3rd, 2020. Today we’ll explore what happened in Tea Tree Bay – Noosa National...