The period for initial consultation on the Revised Eurobodalla Koala Recovery Strategy 2021 is now complete: see below (pending any further advice on improvements). Some minor changes have been made and we can update the document at any time if future advice is forthcoming.
The volunteer Eurobodalla Koala Project will try to move into a new phase involving more advocacy and rehabilitation activity, while still maintaining its ongoing research program. We’ve reached the point where the need for proactivity and a shift from business-as-usual are urgent.
We are as confident as we can be about Eurobodalla koala history and habitat, but the status of Eurobodalla koalas either side of the localised extinction line is now uncertain. The confidence we had until 2013 about the persistence of one or two small resident groups and the occasional dispersing animal within the borders of the Eurobodalla, is no longer there. Managed rewilding of the urban, urban fringe and alluvial agricultural areas should probably be the emphasis, but remote public forests remain the safety valve and are crucial for connectivity.
As our volunteer group moves forward with a Eurobodalla koala revival/rewilding emphasis, the elephant in the room is climate change. We must avoid the predicted increase in frequency and severity of fires and drought, otherwise recovery efforts are doomed to failure. The Strategy below attempts to provide multiple practical actions based on a sound rationale..
