New research shows inaction on Koala offsets
The new research led by UQ Prof Jonathan Rhodes shows that, of financial offsets since 2018, only 0.7 of 13.4ha of impacts on koala habitats has been actioned.
Financial payments made by land developers to offset their impacts on threatened species may fall short, according to University of Queensland-led research.
Professor Jonathan Rhodes from the School of the Environment focused on koala populations in the fast-developing South East Queensland region and a government scheme which allows developers to make financial payments to compensate for environmental consequences.
New data and footage reveals true impact of Qld's failing nature laws
While thousands of people were out planting trees for National Tree Day, the QLD state government quietly released data showing 349,399 hectares of habitat was cleared across Queensland in 2020/2021.
While these figures, contained in the latest Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) report, are slightly lower than the previous years, they are still far too high to protect threatened species habitat.
$2million boost for koalas in Gympie
Gympie’s peak regional land use body has announced a $2 million investment in restoring koala habitat in the Gympie region and protecting the locally threatened species.
A Burnett Mary Regional Group representative said the group was currently “guiding a consortium of community groups, researchers and traditional owners who have volunteered to work with landholders on critical habitat restoration and improved connectivity between habitat areas.
The projects across various Gympie region locations, will cover a total of 178ha.
1150 attendees Griffith Family Koala Fair
Griffith University hosted budding young scholars at the Family Koala Fair, sparking a passion for conservation and lifelong love of koalas.
More than 1,150 people attended the Griffith EcoCentre which accommodated the free fun family event during the school holidays.
Griffith student Eco Ambassadors took families on Toohey Forest bushwalks teaching children the secrets of koala detection and tracking.
Eco Ambassadors ran extra tour sessions through the day taking more than 450 families on tour.
Griffith’s EcoCentre was abuzz with interactive and educational activities for all ages including face painting, koala painting, competitions, trivia, colouring competitions.
Download IFAW's Wildlife Rescue App today to help wildlife in Australia.
The IFAW Wildlife Rescue App is a joint initiative by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, (IFAW) and the NSW Wildlife Council (NWC).
This helpful App identifies the closest licensed wildlife rescue group to where your phone is situated and, at the touch of a button, you will be connected to someone for assistance if you have found a sick, injured or orphaned animal.
The App is currently available for use in NSW, QLD, TAS and NT, with plans to roll-out to other states in the future.
QKC Representing at the C4RE Mammal Muster
QKC members Kat and Malani Harris represented QKC at a National Tree Day planting organised by Sunshine Coast Bushcare, in Doonan in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland on July 30 where 3,000 trees and shrubs were planted.
Kat and Malani along with Linda and David, represented QKC at the C4RE Mammal Muster, a citizen science initiative organised by Queensland Trust for Nature at Danger Bridge Wildlife Refuge near Cootharaba in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in July.
Participants learned about native animal behaviours, acoustic monitoring, population surveys, scat identification and collection as well as witnessing a detection dog in action searching for gilder and koala scat and how to setup wildlife camera traps. A post dinner spotlighting exercise revealed several different nocturnal fauna species. No koalas were sighted this time, but koala scat was located by the detection dog.
Tree Planting Successes
We revisited the site of our last planting from 2022, for the Queen’s Jubilee project. David Crouch, co-owner of Amara Retreat in Verrierdale stands next to one of the trees planted just 6 months earlier! Isn’t it wonderful what some TLC can do for newly planted trees?
And in Strathpine....
A young male koala was recently sighted in a tree planted last year on National Tree Day (image top panel, right). What a fabulous result after only a year of growth.
The planting day involved schools from the local area with QKC in attendance also after receiving a generous grant from Moreton Bay Regional Council for this planting.
We just love updates like this and I'm sure all the school kids involved will be thrilled with this as well.
Planting Update
Unfortunately, the Koala Habitat planting scheduled for July had to be postponed for reasons beyond our control. We remain committed to finalising this planting in the next 6 weeks when a suitable date can be negotiated. Many more planting sites have been identified for inclusion in our plans for the coming months.
Habitat creation and restoration remains a core focus for us, and we will continue to seek opportunities for koalas to survive and thrive into the future.
QKC contributed funds through a grant from Moreton Bay Regional Council to the Edward Alison Bushcare Group to support mulching of recent habitat plantings in Edward Allison Park in Draper.
Our next planting is scheduled for August 27th in Verrierdale (see below). Please watch our socials for more details!
Verrierdale Tree Planting, Sunday 27th August
We will be hosted by a wonderful landowner in Verrierdale who is keen to enhance koala habitat on his property and help create a koala "highway" in Verrierdale.
We will begin at 9AM. Please bring boots (it could be muddy), gloves, water bottle, long sleeve shirts/sunsafe clothing, sunscreen, hat and your best vibes.
We will provide trowels, fruit snacks and additional water for anyone needing it.
Good energy welcome! You'll come away with the knowledge that you've placed something that will likely mean survival to the local koala population!
Roving Restorers Program - Noosa Chapter - Friday 18th August
When: 8:30 AM, 18 Aug 2023 Friday
Where: Kin Kin
Join the Roving Restorers Noosa Chapter, at a property at Kin Kin, using best practice techniques to remove environmental weeds. Works undertaken will improve the biodiversity of the property and surrounding landscape.
Please contact Noosa Landcare Project Officer – Tamara - [email protected] for further details.
Participants will be notified the day before the event of the exact location of the works.
Please arrive for an 8:30am start.
All tools will be provided.
Bring gloves, water, boots, sunscreen and insect repellent. Long-sleeved shirt, trousers and hat are essential (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations).
Roving Restorers Program - Noosa Chapter - Saturday 19th August
When: 8:30 AM, 19 Aug 2023
Where: Yurol State Forest
The Roving Restorer program will be conducting monthly working bees at the Yurol State Forest.
We will treat environmental weeds within the current remnant forest areas and along tracks and trails. This will help improve the resilience of both the existing high biodiversity remnant vegetation areas and also the long-term management of the revegetation areas. It also provides an opportunity to learn bush regeneration techniques, plant identification skills and to make new friends!
Please contact Noosa Landcare Project Officer – Tamara - tamara.kubica@noosalandcare.org for further details.
Participants will be notified the day before the event of the exact location of the works.
Please arrive for an 8:30am start.
All tools will be provided.
Bring gloves, water, boots, sunscreen and insect repellent. Long-sleeved shirt, trousers and hat are essential (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations).
This project has received funding support from the Queensland Government’s Community Sustainability Action grant program.
Rally to Save Toondah Harbour
This August, our city will be the home of the 49th Australian Labor Party (ALP) National Conference.
This means that our communities have a unique opportunity to raise our voices for nature.
We are raising ours to SAVE TOONDAH HARBOUR.
Moreton Bay is home to threatened animals including dugongs, dolphins, whales, sea turtles, koalas, and the critically endangered eastern curlew. Over summer, 40,000 migratory shorebirds from all around the world come to feed and rest in Moreton Bay. It is also of immense cultural significance to the Quandamooka Nations people.
The National Conference is the Labor Party’s highest decision-making forum, and this is the first time it’s been held in Queensland since the 1970s.
The conference plays a defining role in the future of the party and our nation. It is where delegates from every walk of life will be coming together to discuss and vote on critical issues.
By showing up at the Brisbane Conference Centre, together we can show delegates why their party should take action to protect Toondah Harbour!
Queenslanders, we need to act. Let’s raise our voice as a community to insist that Labor fully applies federal environment laws to protect Queensland’s iconic Toondah Harbour wetlands.
Express your interest and RSVP here
Queensland Conservation Council Workshops
QCC are hosting workshops for the conservation movement to come together to look at:
- Making a submission
- Generating stories and engaging media
- Digital campaigning
- Taking action in our communities
Brisbane / metro workshop:
Date: Saturday 19th August
Time: 9.30 - 12.00
Location: Brisbane inner location (TBC)
Note: Morning tea provided
Regional workshops:
- Gold Coast South: 23rd August, email interest to: [email protected]
- Sunshine Coast: Date TBC, email interest to: [email protected]
- Toowoomba & Lockyer Valley: 26th August, email interest to: [email protected]
- Online: TBC, email interest to: [email protected]
Bunnings Sausage Sizzle - Saturday 16th September
We will be calling for volunteers for our first Bunnings Sausage Sizzle to be held at Bunnings Newstead, a very busy inner-city store, on September 16 from 9:00am. We are expecting a large crowd and it will definitely be a case of many hands make light work to feed them and provide vital funds to help with the running of QKC.
Register here to volunteer on the day
Big Heart Bamboo
Our newest partner, Big Heart Bamboo, which is located near Belli Park in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, and who produces and sells small batch gourmet products made from their very own bamboo farm, has announced on their socials that during the months of July through September, they are donating 50 cents for every jar of product sold at their markets and their online shop.
Malani Harris, our newest Joey Member, has created a donation “tin” for Rebecca Dart, the owner-operator of Big Heart Bamboo to use in her markets.
Please visit their website or socials at:
You’ll be helping koalas while you enjoy delicious gourmet treats!!
Chevallum State School - Costume Day
What a wonderful surprise we received! The “Early Act” team at Chevallum State School held a fundraiser, including a “Costume Day” and a bake sale, and the proceeds were donated by Camele Marks at the School. We love it when the young ones get involved in koala support. It was a welcome surprise indeed!
Jazz, Blues and Koalas - save the date! 8th October
Come and join us at “Jazz, Blues and Koalas 2023”, a koala awareness event hosted by Body and Soul Music and Events Australia and proudly supported by the Brisbane City Council and Councillor for Marooka Ward, Steve Griffiths and the Griffith University EcoCentre to be held at Griffith University EcoCentre on Sunday 8 October from 11 am to 7 pm. There will be music, food and a raffle, along with lots of opportunities to learn more about koalas and how YOU can help.
Why not join one of the EcoTours and learn about Toohey Forest’s local fauna and flora? Or just relax and listen to the various musical performances and presentations scheduled throughout the day.
Register your interest at Jazz Blues and Koalas 2023
Facebook Fundraising
Did you know you can fundraise for QKC via Facebook. Click here to start a campaign and let your friends and family know by sharing your fundraising goal.
Hoopje and Hadley
Recently two handraised joeys under the care of Anika Lehmann went into the pre-release enclosure. So exciting for Hoopje and Hadley.
It's the last stage before being released into the wild. Big trees and lots of smells.
So far they are doing really well. And the best news is that both of them will be tracked after release, so we will know how they go in the big real world.
Successful stories like Hoopje and Hadley's are only due to wonderful supporters like you. Can you chip in to help with the various aspects of koala rehabilitation?
Make a donation today so we can all continue to enjoy wild koalas.
Watch the video on Facebook here
Urgent injunction sought to stop logging in koala habitat in NE NSW
The EDO, on behalf of NEFA, have sought an urgent injunction to stop Forestry Corp NSW from logging koala habitat in Myrtle & Braemar Forests, northern NSW. The hearing went ahead Wed 2 August.
Koala citizen science day at Kurrajong NSW
Sydney Basin Koala Network will host a citizen science training day on 12 August to teach locals how to find and record data on koalas.
First Nations koala researcher heading to Oxford
Dunghutti Gumbaynggirr woman Teresa Cochrane talks koala conservation and taking her research to Oxford University, UK.
How to collect koala sperm
Efforts are underway to not only protect existing koala populations, but to replenish those that have dwindled.
One scientist from Queensland is trying to show how collecting semen could be an answer.
But how do you collect such samples from reluctant males?
100,000 trees for koalas VIC
Koala Clancy Foundation have planted their 100,000th koala tree.
