The national Koala Count
The Koala Count is an innovative, large-scale citizen science survey developed by the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA). The aim of the annual count is to build a comprehensive picture of koala numbers and locations across Australia. Despite koalas being an iconic and internationally recognised symbol of Australia, populations of this special marsupial are declining rapidly in many states. We need your help to find out where they are and how they are faring by going out into your local area and recording any koalas you see using a free GPS enabled, smartphone app.
This year, we have partnered with NatureMapr – an innovative public data collection software that brings together nature enthusiasts and conservation experts – to develop a new Koala Count app that makes data collection more robust and helps you to record sightings more easily.
We’re not just interested in koala sightings though. The absence of koalas in your local areas is also important because it helps to build a more complete picture of koala distributions and potential changes over time. We therefore want to know where you looked for koalas without success, as well as where you spotted them. You can enter null-sightings into the Koala Count app or website by recording a value of zero at a location.
How to take part
You don’t need any special qualifications to take part - anyone can join by registering at www.koalacount.org.au or by downloading the NatureMapr smartphone app! If you don’t own a smart phone you can still participate by entering your koala sightings directly onto the Koala Count website instead.
All the data that you collect will be made available through the publically accessible Atlas of Living Australia where it can be viewed by anyone who needs it, such as academics, government bodies and koala welfare groups. These records serve as a valuable resource for planning future conservation projects and for informing the development of new koala management strategies. Click here to view the 2014 Koala Count report.
Visit www.koalacount.org.au for more information and to register.