September is Save the Koala Month, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about the critical challenges facing koalas and their habitats.
The Port Stephens region is home to one of the last remaining koala populations on the east coast of Australia, but habitat loss, climate change, disease, and human impact have significantly threatened their survival.
With fewer than 80,000 koalas remaining in the wild across Australia, it's imperative we take immediate action to protect their future.
This month for Save the Koala Month we invite our community to find out more and get involved in protecting our koala population.
Landholder Partnerships
We're actively seeking partnerships with landholders and community members to protect koalas on private land. Through collaborative efforts, we can ensure that koalas have access to suitable habitat and receive necessary care.
Koala signage competition
Primary school students will be invited to participate in a creative design competition with winning entries featured on roadside signage to raise awareness about koala conservation throughout the community.
Other initiatives we're working on to keep our koalas safe:
Vegetation and koala habitat mapping
Our upcoming Koala habitat mapping project will work towards creating the first vegetation map specifically tailored to Port Stephens.
Vegetation mapping provides vital information to help land managers, like Council, inform appropriate land management actions and assist in the identification of important vegetation in Port Stephens.
Port Stephens Drive Koala Vehicle Strike Project
The Koala Vehicle Strike Oroject's dedicated Koala underpass enables koalas (and other native species) to safely cross the busy Port Stephens Drive and is monitored by Council's "Koala Cam".The project has been very successful at saving a number of species including the Koala.
Another way to help our koala population is to become a Citizen Scientist and record your sightings here
