Since July 2022, The NSW Government Koala Strategy has engaged South East Local Land Services, Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare and Upper Snowy Landcare Network to assist them with their on-ground efforts under the Cold Country Koalas project.
The NSW Government heralded its commitment to double the NSW Koala population by 2050 not long after the Koala was lifted from vulnerable to endangered, which was nothing short of a call to arms. To double a number the existing koala numbers need to be determined. This is where Landcare has pulled up its sleeves and engaged local landholders in the wider reaches to help detect and record sightings.
Detection methods have included deployment of song meters which pick up the call of the koalas during mating season, the use of thermal drones that can survey large sweeps of forested areas and detection dogs that seek out Koala scats. Official records are pooled and the community has been asked to log any sightings into the I Spy Koala app. When combined these records give a good indication of the spread of koalas in the Snowy Monaro region.
Results indicate that the Snowy Monaro has quite the robust population. The hotspot being in the Area of Regional Koala Significance (ARKS) (see map below) which is a forested mountainous space in the mid to northern reaches of the Snowy Monaro area, which also corresponds to the south western corner of our South East Landcare area. Not only this, we have pockets with known koala habitation down near the Snowy River and they are also being detected in the Kosciuzko and Namadgi National Parks. Many have also been spotted around the Bredbo area, crossing our very busy Monaro Highway, which is a daring feat.
While our koala work has included education we have also managed to enhance on-ground efforts by supporting extensive plantings using funds from the NSW Koala Strategy to pump up the Koala habitat in key areas. Installation of fencing and intensive weed control has further protected the koalas most needed survival asset – intact and extensive habitat. We have also designed and constructed a series of koala bridges to enable koala populations to move between different areas, which we will be monitoring.
If you are interested in the Koala Strategy, or getting involved in planting habitat for koalas please contact us at [email protected]
