Koala experts join together for Queensland conservation event

Experts will come together for a one-day koala festival to encourage landholders, students, and the public to do their bit to protect the endangered species in south-east Queensland.

KoalaFest will bring together conservation organisations the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Great Eastern Ranges as well as wildlife veterinarians, local government, and detection dogs to raise awareness about the challenges facing koalas.

The event, held on April 20, is part of Koala Climate Corridors, a project spearheaded by the Great Eastern Ranges and IFAW to help wildlife adapt and communities build resilience to climate change. Lockyer Uplands Catchment Inc (LUCI) is leading the project across this first corridor, Bunyas to Border, which stretches from the Bunya Mountains to the Border Ranges.

Industry leaders will talk about koala care, how to identify sick koalas, the actions being taken to protect koalas, the importance of landscape connectivity and the role detection dogs play in koala conservation.

Justine Rice, local project coordinator for Koala Climate Corridors says the focus will be on ways individual people can help, particularly encouraging landholders to be involved in Bunyas to Border.

"KoalaFest is a pivotal element of our larger biodiversity corridor project, as it plays a crucial role in educating and engaging the public on wildlife conservation. We hope to raise awareness about the challenges facing koalas and other wildlife while providing practical steps for individuals to take meaningful action,” she said.

IFAW Regional Director Rebecca Keeble says community involvement is vital to ensure koalas and other wildlife survive into the future.

“As a flagship species, when koalas are in trouble, it’s a sign the whole ecosystem is in danger. We all need to do our bit to bring koalas back from the brink and in turn, protect countless other species and the places they call home. We are beyond the point of leaving the responsibility to one group or individual – we all need to take action before it’s too late,” she said.

Great Eastern Ranges CEO Gary Howling said this project is just one of many happening across the koala’s natural range to improve its conservation status.

“Conserving this globally iconic species will require us all working together to do what we can to improve their habitat and increase options for adaptation across eastern Australia. This project serves as a rallying cry for tangible action that does make a difference,” Mr Howling said.

The event will be held at the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba campus. For more information and to register click here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/koalafest-koala-conservation-event-day-tickets-867055685897

ENDS

Notes:

• Media are invited to attend the KoalaFest – please let Dominica Mack know if you’re interested.
• There will be informative stalls to engage and educate the public about wildlife conservation and how they can get involved, as well as a competition for the best koala outfit.
• Speakers include GER CEO Gary Howling, IFAW Regional Director Rebecca Keeble, Bunyas to Border project coordinator Justine Rice, University of the Sunshine Coast’s Detection Dogs for Conservation director Dr Romane Cristescu, wildlife veterinarian Dr Rosie Booth and Brent Smith from the Department of Environment and Science.
• Bunyas to Border involves working with local partners to reconnect and regenerate habitats to help koalas, rainbow bee-eaters and other wildlife adapt to climate change by providing them with safe spaces to move as conditions and food sources shift.

Press contacts:
Dominica Mack, IFAW
dmack@ifaw.org
0460 432 901

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare - IFAW is a global non-profit helping animal and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org

About the Great Eastern Ranges (GER) – Since 2007, the Great Eastern Ranges has brought people together to stem the loss of native wildlife and their habitats, provide natural solutions to the climate crisis, protect precious resources, and ensure thriving, resilient landscapes and ecosystems for nature and people. Today, we are one of the world’s largest conservation initiatives, delivering environmental, health, cultural and socio-economic benefits across eastern Australia through our extensive network of local, regional, and national partners.