Koala Habitat Restoration – Kirbys Environment Reserve

This project is being undertaken as part of the Commonwealth Koala Community Grants opportunity. The objective of this program is to support community-led conservation and recovery efforts to improve the extent, quality and connectivity of the Koala, as well as improve data and knowledge of Koala populations and health across their range. Kirbys Environmental Reserve is a core koala habitat area and key area of connectivity between Kondalilla National Park and Maleny National Park.

Our project aims to improve outcomes for Koalas within Kirby’s Environmental Reserve by addressing:

Restoration and rehabilitation of habitat
Monitoring and evaluation of pest species and threats
Monitoring and evaluation of the koala
Community engagement through education and participation in citizen science

On-ground activities will include natural assisted regeneration and weed management, planting of 2000 trees, thermal drone imaging and detection dog monitoring of koalas and motion sensor monitoring of pest species. We also aim to engage the local community through a community tree planting day and koala education and monitoring days. Much of the remaining koala habitat resides on private land, and recording sightings is a vital step in conserving koala populations.

Habitat Restoration

Regeneration works using the Bradley method of restoration will be undertaken on site. Our team are clearing woody weeds to encourage native recruitment & planting 2000 trees.

Threat & Pest Monitoring

Pests and threats are being monitored with 8 strategically placed wildlife trail cameras.

Koala Monitoring

We’re partnering with UniSC’s Detection Dogs for Conservation to conduct koala scat & presence surveys, and using our thermal drone imaging to detect koalas.

Community Engagement

Join us at our Koala conservation community day!

Report a Koala Sighting

Everyone can play a role in koala conservation by getting out into nature to learn more about koala populations in your local area. Reporting koala sightings can help to monitor populations over time and inform conservation planning and action at local, state and national levels.

QWildlife, a Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science app
QLD Koala Count, a Koala Action Group QLD Inc. project with Atlas of Living Australia
KoalaMap, Australian Koala Foundation

Resources