Thumbs up to APPS Mechanical, Port Macquarie

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Corey & Jess Siviour from Apps Mechanics
You can buy a copy of the charming THE GOOD THING ABOUT … KOALAS online

The Good Thing About… Koalas.

Mechanic fixing to save koalas: a Port Macquarie mechanics business is hoping to fix more than broken vehicles – they are also aiming to save our dwindling koala population… “I was shocked when I discovered just how low the number of wild koalas is in this area [Port Macquarie]” said Corey Siviour of APPS Mechanical… read full article. The Good Thing About…Koalas fundraising book now available to purchase here.

Thumbs up to Nathan Smith owner of Bonny Hills Garden Centre Café

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Nathan Smith, Bonny Hills Garden Café (left) with author G Henshaw

Thumbs up to Nathan Smith owner of Bonny Hills Garden Centre Café –  he is a big supporter of  the Living with Koalas programme. He and his staff will be promoting and selling the newly published book The Good Thing About… Koalas.

Nathan said “I spoke with G Henshaw [founder of Living with Koalas] some months ago when he discussed the idea of setting-up an initiative to help with the conservation and regeneration of wild koalas in the area. i was a big supporter, especially as we used to have a regular koala visitor to the cafe which, sadly was run over and killed some while ago. We are happy to sell the books as we know most of the proceeds goes to the local schools ‘nurture koala food trees programme’.

The Good Thing About… Koalas.

The book is part of a series of books called The Good Thing About… which G Henshaw, one of the originators and author, had published in UK by Penguin. This is the first time the concept has been used for conservation purposes. And local artist Ben Creighton has illustrated the charming book.

G calls it a KIDULTS book. “Entertainment and education for children; information and motivation for adults.”

The Koala is now listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Vulnerable with numbers rapidly decreasing and facing the real threat of extinction within 50 years.

“Incredibly”, said G Henshaw, “there are some expert predictions saying the wild koala population in the Port Macquarie / Hastings area could, effectively, be locally extinct in under 25 years.  With as few as 2,500 left remaining in the region today. Habitat loss is by far the biggest threat. As a ‘Pommie Aussie’ it’s inconceivable that we could knowingly stand by as we watch the gentle koala slowly lose its battle for survival. We should all hang out heads in shame if we are the last generation to see healthy populations of koalas in the wild in Australia.”

You can purchase a copy of  The Good Thing About… Koalas book online here.

 

Koalas – Port Macquarie – extinct by 2040!

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Here is an extract from the Huffingpost (7.11.17) and an inteview  with Ian Darbyshire, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife in Australia

Australia is running out of Koalas

Once widespread across Australia, the past 20 years has seen koala numbers decline dramatically, for some populations by as much as 80 percent. Ian Darbyshire, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife told HuffPost Australia. “In the past five years, we have seen the population go from about 100,000 to 40,000. At this rate, they will be extinct by 2040.”
So what is causing this rapid decline? And what can we do to reverse it?

“There are a lot of different factors, but habitat loss is the main cause,” Darbyshire said. …  Furthermore, you get habitat loss breaking down the connectivity between trees, so quite often these days you’ll see koalas crossing the road. When they are down on the ground, that’s when they are vulnerable, not only from traffic but also from dogs.” Darbyshire said a fragmentation of koala population has also led to further problems for the marsupials.

REUTERS/Mark Pardew (AUSTRALIA)

“You can drive around the country and see koalas, they are widespread but local,” he said. “And their population is fragmented now. That leads to inbreeding, disease and stress. We are seeing Chlamydia become a real issue and that’s because the population is getting stressed. And tragically, Chlamydia affects their ability to breed and they can also lose their sight.

It’s tragic because the koala is a national icon, it’s a very important economic contributor for Australia’s tourism …

Other issues koalas are facing include large scale fires and climate change, both of which can result in koalas forcing to relocate, which is actually problematic in itself. “It’s not easy to relocate koalas as they tend to be quite choosy about the trees they’ll eat. They have to have flora that’s developed to the area they are in. You can’t just take from one area to another. You have to make sure you introduce the right bacteria into their gut,” he said.
“Males are very territorial as well, and as food gets scarce a male might roam several kilometers. You can’t then just stick another male in his territory. You really have to understand what you are doing.”
In terms of what you can do to help, Darbyshire said it all starts with education. “I think the public needs a fair bit of education and support to understand they do need help. We need actions from individuals to make sure they have koala-friendly fences, that they have their dogs under control. If you see one on the road, help it across,” he said

We should be doing more to help them..

A koala can’t live anywhere else on earth. They are animals unique to Australia, and they can’t adapt as fast as we are changing the environment around them.
If you’re in an area where koalas can be found, Darbyshire encouraged you to leave water out for them on hot days and also to make it easy for koala to travel from yard to yard. “Lean a pole on your fence or plant a tree so koalas can navigate backyards,” he said. “They are having to travel further for food, which sees them [forced to navigate suburban areas] and puts them in the path of dogs.
“Koalas can be found throughout Queensland, down to New South Wales and Victoria and South Australia. So if you live in these areas, think about planting the right trees, giving them connectivity from tree to tree, controlling the burn, keeping the vegetation for them… it all helps.
“They can only have one young a year and have to be about three years old until they can have one. We are moving much faster than they are.
“Australia has a big issue – Australia is wiping out its mammals faster than any other country on earth. We need lots of help for our native species. Talking about the koala helps because it’s iconic. It’s the cute cuddly Aussie.
“But it won’t be here for much longer if we don’t take action now.”

LIVING with KOALAS echoes the sentiments above and the more we research the more we are convinced of the facts stated in this article. Please remember: the difference between human action & inaction is… extinction for the wild koala.

Koalas Port Macquarie – dog attacks

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Thumbs up to Port Macquarie Council for their Dog Training initiative to try and combat the attacks by dogs on wild koalas in the area.

“Dog owners and their pooches have been put through their paces in a final assessment as part of a pilot program. The program, which is the first of its kind, aims to reduce dog attacks on koalas through specialist training.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council engaged renowned dog trainer Steve Austin to share his knowledge and teach local dog trainers. Nineteen dog owners and their pooches have participated in the pilot program.” read full article in the Port News

Reducing dog attacks on Koalas – Port Macquarie

Road strikes and dog attacks are the two major killers of koalas, with the Department of Environment and Heritage estimating that every year about 110 koalas are attacked and hospitalised on the east coast due to dog attacks.

This is an extract from an ABC report:

Koala dog trying – photo ABC MID NORTH COAST: Gabrielle Lyons

“A stuffed skateboarding koala is teaching dogs to stay away from native wildlife in an initiative that could be rolled out across the country.

The K9 Koala Training Program, which has proven successful in New South Wales, focuses on pet owners, and trains dogs to respond when called when they are near a koala and its habitat.

Run by renowned dog trainer Steve Austin, the 10-week program has been run by Port Macquarie Hastings Council on the mid-north coast, where dog attacks are one of the major killers for koalas in the region. read full article

Koala Zone – Road sign – Port Macquarie

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Extract from a report in the Port News, Port Macquarie 3.2017

Hastings Council has painted koala crossing messages on Ocean Drive in Port Macquarie, a known road strike black spot, to help create awareness  and provide guidance to drivers…

…The section of Ocean Drive between Koala Street and Christmas Bells Plains is a known road strike black spot with koalas regularly seen trying to cross the road.

“These attempted crossings increase in the early morning and late afternoon, which unfortunately coincides with peak traffic times, and it is important that we are always all on high alert, even more so during these busy periods,” Mr Croft [Council acting director] said.

The council will remove some of the vegetation from the median strips to provide greater visibility of koalas to road users and is working on integrating a koala-proof fence and upgrading of underpasses on Ocean Drive to provide safer passage for koalas. The koala road safety initiative has been made possible through funding assistance from the state government’s Saving our Species Program.

Residents and road users are urged to immediately call the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital on 6584 1522 (24 hours) if a koala is seen in distress or has been injured. read the full article in the Port News

 

Land clearing in Australia

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Why we need stronger laws to protect our precious wildlife and nature.
Australia is home to some of the most unique and magnificent nature in the world. Our country has vast savannahs and grasslands, tropical rainforests, endangered gum forests and diverse woodlands that provide shelter to our most precious threatened species.
Yet, Australia is one of the worst developed countries in the world for broadscale land clearing – killing tens of millions of native animals (including threatened species) and wiping out endangered forests and woodlands. In fact, we’ve cleared nearly half of our forest cover in the last 200 years!
Facts about land clearing in Australia that reiterate how badly we need stronger laws to protect our precious wildlife and nature.
Around 5,000 square kilometres, of virgin bushland and advanced regrowth are cleared annually. In addition to destroying native wildlife, it is the major cause of salinity and causes around 14% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.1
Australia has lost 25% rainforest, 45% of open forest, 32% woodland forest and 30% of mallee forest in 200 years.2
The effect of these changes has been considerable. Around 20% of Australian mammals,  7% of reptiles, 13% of birds are listed as Extinct, Endangered or Vulnerable.3
More than 100 species have gone extinct in NSW in the last 200 years.4
Currently 1,000 animal and plant species are at risk of extinction, including the koala.4  
Australia has one of the highest rates of tree clearing of any developed country historically. In the past, we’ve cleared more bush each year than poverty-stricken countries like Burma, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and the Congo.5
In New South Wales, the government is planning to follow Queensland’s lead by ripping up their native vegetation laws.
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions from tree clearing could spiral further out of control. … Emissions from tree clearing from 2016 to 2030 are projected between 673 and 826 Mt CO²e without substantial policy change. By way of comparison, this is the equivalent of operating at least three to four extra dirty Hazelwood coal fired power plants for this same period. CO2 Australia.

80% of Australia’s Eucalypt forests cleared

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Extract from the Save the Koala website:
Since European settlement, approximately 80% of Australia’s eucalypt forests have been cleared. Almost none of the 20% remaining is protected, and most occurs on privately-owned land. Settlers have favoured the rich fertile lands along the eastern seaboard to have their farms and urban developments. Unfortunately, this is where the majority of Koalas are already living because they favour trees in the same fertile soil.
HOW HABITAT DESTRUCTION AFFECTS KOALAS
Clearing of the eucalypt forests means that all wildlife, including Koalas, will suffer from:
•increased disturbance by humans
•starvation
•injury or death from traffic
•injury or death from dogs and cats
•effects of garden pesticides getting into waterways
•increased competition for food and territory because of overcrowding
•increased stress on animals, making them more susceptible to disease.

Living with Koalas program launches in the Port Macquarie-Hastings

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A new program has been launched in the Port Macquarie-Hastings with the aim of creating koala food tree corridors connecting known koala habitats in the Port Macquarie-Hastings area.

Living with Koalas program director and Lake Cathie resident G Henshaw said 400 tallowwood tube stock (a favourite food tree of koalas in the Port Macquarie-Hastings area) are being cared for by Bonny Hills Nursery …   the tallowwoood would be delivered to local schools for school children and teachers for nurturing. When the trees reach around 2metres in height  they will be planted in areas where koalas need them most. “You have to start somewhere and little trees grow into big trees,” said G Henshaw, LWK Director.  “Without positive action predictions are koalas could be extinct in the wild within a few generations.” read the full article…