Hopes high for koala survival
Planting trees, strengthening habitat corridors and increasing the genetic diversity of local koalas are just some of the endeavours in Queensland Koala Crusaders sights in their multi-faceted, collaborative efforts to ensure the survival of the koala, now listed as endangered.
Koala mother & joey reunited after 3 days of searching
Wildcare Australia shared this story of a koala joey found alone and wet at Mt Warren Park. 3 days of searching by wildlife carers and the community finally located the mother koala - the pair have been reunited and released.
Koala Breeding Season is upon us
Tips to keep koalas safe as breeding season peaks in the north
Koala breeding season has begun, which means between now and January koalas are at increased risk as they move around the city looking for a mate.
While koalas have recently had their status changed from vulnerable to endangered, the Gold Coast is fortunate enough to have a number of koala habitat areas, with many of us closer to the furry natives than we might think.
“More than 60 per cent of the city’s properties are located within one kilometre of a known koala sighting and over 11 per cent of those properties are located within 100 metres of a koala sighting,” City of Gold Coast Senior Conservation Officer Lexie Webster told myGC.
Be aware. Anytime, anywhere and drive with care
Koalas were formally classified as Endangered in 2021 by the Australian Government. This treasured national icon is under constant threat from car strikes, habitat loss, dog attacks and disease.
Noosa Shire accounts for 49% of koala vehicle strikes across the Gympie, Sunshine Coast and Noosa region. Significant locations include the Bruce Highway at Pomona, Cooroy and Federal, McKinnon Drive and Cooroy-Noosa Road.
Sadly, only 21% of koalas involved in hits are able to be rehabilitated and released.
Koalas can be on the move anytime, anywhere.
That’s why we’re asking you to be aware and drive with care this breeding season.
Muzza has been with the QKC Team for nearly a decade, operating mostly in the background with all things online. Always at the ready for what ever tasks may present themselves, he keeps the wheels turning on the website and all things related.
For more than two decades Muzza has worked in both in-situ and ex-situ conservation. His work with icons of the environmental movement has shaped his thinking and earnt him the respect of the conservation community. Muzza’s formative experience managing Jane Goodall’s chimpanzee sanctuary in remote Uganda taught him the critical importance of working closely with local communities to create sustainable wildlife conservation solutions.
Returning to the urban jungle, first to Auckland Zoo, then to manage the internationally-renowned Wildlife Warriors at Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo, he learned first-hand how public awareness translates into support for conservation.
He and a small team later used this knowledge to launch a fundraising and media campaign to rescue a critically malnourished, orphaned Sumatran elephant named Bona. Bona’s plight caused a media frenzy (including an episode on ABC television’s Australian Story), that eventually went global.
Queens Jubilee tree planting at Alsahwa
Another great planting day was had on Sunday 25th September, planting trees for the Queen's Jubilee at Alsahwa in the beautiful Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
What a wonderful show of community spirit, all to help our koalas.
Special thanks to all those who volunteered to help make this project a success, to our suppliers and partners including North Lakes Signs who produced a beautiful plaque to commemorate the event, and to the team at Alsahwa.
Thank you also to Sunshine Butterflies for their amazing “Commando” crew in helping us prepare for the planting.
Upcoming Events
Roving Restorers Program - Noosa Chapter - Saturday 15th October 2022
When: 8:30 AM, 15 Oct 2022
Where: Yurol & Ringtail State Forest and Tewantin National Park
To support the overall revegetation within Yurol State Forest, Ringtail State Forest, and Tewantin National Park and to allow the community to get involved, the Roving Restorer program will be conducting monthly working bees in the 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 (Work Place Health and Safety Regulations).
This project has received funding support from the Queensland Government’s Community Sustainability Action grant program
Roving Restorers Program - Noosa Chapter - Friday 21st October 2022
When: 8:30 AM, 21 Oct 2022
Where: Lake Macdonald
Join the Roving Restorers Noosa Chapter at a LFW property at Lake Macdonald. The property backs on to Yurol State Forest so provides important connectivity. We will be removing Fishbone Fern .
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).
Griffith University’s Koala Forum is back
Griffith University’s Koala Forum is back and focusing on activities in the Brisbane Region.
The event will be held the 17th of November from 5-7.30PM at the Griffith University’s Nathan Campus Eco Centre.
QKC will be speaking along with representatives from Brisbane City Council about their work to protect koalas; Queensland Koala Society on their work; A/Prof Jun Zhou from Griffith University discussing his exciting AI project to protect koalas on the road and Jaimee Blouse from RSPCA with insights into the Wacol Wildlife Hospital.
Click here for more details and registration
QKC 10th Anniversary Celebration
Our upcoming 10th Anniversary Celebration/Symposium is planned for November and will be our first ‘Members Only’ event.
If you are a member, please make sure we have your correct email address on file, and if not, what a great time to sign up for Membership!
We will be communicating the details, date, time and location via email soon, so you don’t want to miss out!
Facebook Fundraiser
Bernard Jean is a tireless crusader for our koalas. On the 8th October Bernard celebrated his 80th birthday and true to his character, he was overly generous in his passion for koalas. He published a facebook birthday fundraiser and raised $300 for QKC. Bernard said: Oh what a feeling! Turning 80 year old and only feeling like a 4x20 year young, with all my passions intact and even increasing!
Bernard is an amazingly engaged and tireless wildlife photographer, advocate, rescuer, transporter and educator especially for our beautiful koalas. He is also a wonderful friend to a lot of us.
For his special 80th birthday he was gifted a painting of one of his favourite koalas that he photographed numerous times over the years named: Cuddles. This painting was created by Jane Welsh who has also supported our work through her generous donations from koala art sold and 20 % of the sale of this picture went back to QKC for tree planting.
We wish Bernard well as he enjoys his art and we continue to plant more trees through such generous donations all around!
You too, can raise funds for your birthday through facebook if you wish by setting up your special fundraiser for Queensland Koala Crusaders HERE
Putting Trust in Trees
During our planting preparation at Alsahwa in Verrierdale, we met an incandescent woman named Maxine who is the neighbour of Alsahwa. Her involvement with wildlife goes back quite some distance as she is a long-time member of IFAW Australia, and introduced Jo Walker, owner of Alsahwa, to IFAW. From that day on, Jo and Maxine were fast friends.
Maxine’s property holds a wildlife corridor which she’d like to see expanded. When we told her we were seeking private landowners to allow their properties to be planted upon, she sprang into action and we are now in talks with several landowners in the area to begin planting projects!
At the Alsahwa planting, Maxine presented us with an envelope containing a donation to be made on behalf of her friend’s granddaughters, for the friend’s birthday. Her generosity and enthusiasm so moved us that we dispatched a “Thank You” package to the granddaughters, consisting of Certificates of Appreciation, a couple of children’s books and some little koala stuffies.
As the passion for wildlife and wild places is passed on from generation to generation to generation, so may we continue to nurture the notion of getting involved in environmental conservation in young people.
In our conversation, Maxine referred to QKC President, Linda Barnes as a “Pocket Rocket”. We think she set the example!
If you like to contribute towards our tree planting programs and can't make it in person, then head to our donate page and give the gift of life today.
Welcome increase in signage
The “Koalas on the Move” campaign, which came to reality through joint efforts by Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation, Noosa Council, QKC, Transport and Main Roads and Wildcare Australia, has had an impact!
Erin Atkinson, a ranger from QPWS contacted us about seeing koalas active near her offices in Tewantin and asked if any signage could be arranged.
We reached out to the team who’d worked on the project, and within a few days, David O’Gorman the Fauna Management Project Officer for the Environment and Sustainable Development department of Noosa Council notified us that his department had been in touch with QPWS’s officer and signs installed.
Fantastic work and quick response from our friends at the Noosa Council!
Koala Walkabout followup
After the Crow’s Nest koala walkabout we did last month, a group of those attendees is now planning a Koala Awareness and Action Day to be held 12th November in Crow’s Nest.
The event will be held with the support of QKC as well as Jane Goodall Institute Australia’s Roots and Shoots initiative, Darling Downs chapter.
The hope is that the event will bring more local community members to the table to learn about koalas in their area, the threats they face being outside of the SEQ Koala Recovery mapping, and ways in which they can have an impact.
"Every Koala Counts" film features at two film festivals
The 42 minute documentary about Friends of the Koala and the fight to save koalas in NSW will premiere at Byron Bay International Film Festival on 22 October, and has been selected for the International Social Change Film Festival.
Fascinating article comparing koala brain size and intelligence to other mammals
This article busts some myths about koala intelligence, shows that a koala’s brain size is average compared to other mammals, that brain size or smoothness is no indicator of intelligence.
Lullaby created for Save The Koala Month
September was Save The Koala Month, and a new lullaby by Donna Dyson was launched in celebration.
Koala shelters in 2 year old tree on Burbi Koala Reserve, Tweed
3000 trees were planted by Tweed Coast Koalas and Friends of Cudgen Nature Reserve on the property at Pottsville 2 years ago. On a hot day recently members of Tweed Coast Koalas were delighted to see a female koala resting in one of the Swamp Mahogany trees.