Conserving Koala Country
The Expedition
Help scientists study the response of koalas to climate change to conserve their habitats and population.
Traverse the Great Otway National Park while conducting valuable research on koala habitats to understand the impact of climate change on their population and behavior.
Increasing temperatures, declining rainfall and increased likelihood of fire events are all threats facing koalas. An understanding of the response of koalas to climate change is crucial for the conservation of their population and habitats.
During this expedition, volunteers will get the chance to work closely with koalas and be involved in all aspects of the research including:
• Capturing and handling koalas under close supervision of an experienced catcher/handler.
• Radio tracking.
• Koala observations.
• Tree measurements.
• Habitat assessments.
• Scat search, collection, and preparation of samples for analysis.
• Deployment of cameras, downloading and viewing images.
• Spotlighting for animals at night.
Meals and accommodation
Accommodation will be shared rooms split by gender, within the Otway National Park. There will be full facilities, including hot showers and flushing toilets. Breakfasts will be self serve, lunches will be made by participants and packed up to have in the field, and dinners will be a cooked meal where some assistance with preparation may be required.
About the research area
The Great Otway National Park is located in the Southern Western regions of Victoria, Australia along the Great Ocean Road – a popular tourist drive with rugged cliffs and sea views.
Not only are the views breathtaking, the Otway Ranges itself is a unique experience with abundant rainforest wildlife, waterfalls and volcanic lakes.
About the Research
In Victoria, in the Great Otway National Park and surrounding private land, koalas are widespread and relatively abundant. With the increasing climate change impact on the environment, higher densities of koalas in some areas are being observed, causing declining tree conditions.
Habitat change is occurring rapidly providing a unique opportunity to conduct valuable research on the response of koalas to this change. Understanding the potential impact on the species and their habitats, will pave the way towards developing conservation solutions. Little is known about the Otways and southern koala populations in general, so this study will provide important new information.
This expedition will contribute to on-ground natural resource management and planning. Through volunteer participation and environmental education, knowledge and ecological understanding will be distributed to the local, national, and international community.
Insights will contribute to the conservation of koala species and habitat bringing to light the impact of climate change on species populations, movement and available resources.
Dates:
27 April – 6 May
14 Sept - 23 Sept
19 Oct - 28 Oct
Price: $2700