Friends of the Koala
Border Ranges
Overview
Friends of the Koala’s purpose is to conserve koalas, particularly in the Northern Rivers, in recognition of the contribution the species makes to Australia’s biodiversity.
The group is licensed by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick, injured and orphaned koalas. We provide an organisational framework for achieving regional environmental outcomes by training volunteers to care for individual koalas, restore and expand koala habitat, participate in relevant policy reform and advocacy activities, as well as in community education.
The Koala Care and Research Centre is located in Lismore. The current membership of 370 is mainly drawn from across the Region.
What we do
Friends of the Koala distributes koala food trees to landholders across the Northern Rivers and provides a site inspection/advisory service on request.
- We work with local government and other partners including Landcare groups to identify priority areas for connectivity projects of benefit to koalas.
- We collaborate in the preparation of applications for funding as well as in field days and other educational activities.
- We release between 60-70 rehabilitated koalas back in to the wild annually.
- We collect statistical data on koalas from across the Northern Rivers which is used by DECCW in survey studies
- We publish a quarterly newsletter, Treetops, which is in wide circulation.
- We provide speakers for a wide range of community groups.
- We participate in a range of environmental forums including the North Coast Environment Council, local government advisory/steering groups and the PWG NR Regional Advisory Committee and numerous community events.
- We plan to provide training in elementary surveying techniques to encourage small-scale community-driven koala studies.
What we have achieved
24 years of koala conservation activities across the region.- Targeted areas of koala habitat enhanced by member plantings of koala food tree plantings on public and private land during late 1980s and more than 100,000 koala food trees grown and supplied from the Friends of the Koala Nursery for planting-out by landholders.
- Persistence of urban and other koala populations threatened by human activities due to protections imposed from objections to development applications and also thousands of koalas brought into care since 1989.
- Friends of the Koala’s Care and Research Centre built and opened in mid 1990s.
- Heightened public awareness of Koala’s plight brought about by Care Centre visitations, website, publications (information brochures, quarterly newsletter and annual report), regular media releases, and community engagement (holding public workshops, conferences, field days etc and participating in those organised by others).
- Increased research involvement, especially in koala health issues, thus adding value to Friends of the Koala’s work.
Contact
Friends of the Koala
Tel: 02 6629 8388
Email:
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Web: www.friendsofthekoala.org
