Port Stephens landholders and community members have the chance to help preserve the region's koalas and win an overnight stay for two at the award winning Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary.
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A Port Stephens Council spokesperson said council was looking to partner with landholders to protect and restore koala habitat on private land.
"The type of land we are interested in includes lands such as small residential blocks to large agricultural parcels across Port Stephens," the spokesperson said.
The council is looking to partner with the community to create koala safe spaces to contributes to the health, wellbeing and long-term conservation of koalas across the Port Stephens LGA.
Safe places can be found in rural and urban areas and span from a single paddock or yard tree to a large bush block.
The spokesperson said there were a number of things people can do to help.
These include:
- Plant koala food and shelter trees to restore land to make more habitat for koalas. This includes anything from planting a handful of koala feed trees to large scale plantings.
- Remove weeds to make existing habitat better for koalas
- Find out how koalas move through the landscape (population counting, monitoring, surveys, reporting koala sightings or issues) to tell us more about our koala populations
- Create koala friendly backyards
- Identify important connectivity corridors or linking areas which help koalas move through our landscape
Even if you cannot provide a safe space on your own property, there are other ways to be involved, including reporting sightings, citizen science and advocacy.
People can sign up to help and enter the competition at https://www.portstephens.nsw.gov.au/environment/koalas
Michael Hartshorn
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
