Since 2015, a concerted local community conservation effort has gone into encouraging residents to report koala sightings, to help build a picture of Koala population distribution and trends in the region.
CSIRO has partnered with the local conservation group, Koala Action Gympie Region Inc, to help extend koala monitoring options, efforts and activities, especially in agricultural areas across this large and largely rural region.
Community field days on local rural properties have helped demonstrate drone and on-ground survey methods to allow residents to monitor koala populations over time, through koala signs and sightings. The field days also allowed the community group to encourage residents to enter koala sightings using the Wildwatch Gympie interactive website hosted by the Gympie Regional Council.
National Koala Monitoring Program
The NKMP is supported by the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery for Wildlife and their Habitatprogram.