1. If you live around Melbourne, register for Koala Conservation Day. Meet the famous wild koalas of the You Yangs (including me!), then help us and learn about our lives! From June to August Koala Clancy Foundation plants trees in the places koalas need them most, and from September to May they remove weeds to improve the habitat. Cost is only $30, all of which goes to saving koalas.
If you don’t live near Melbourne, you can sponsor the day, or some trees for others to plant: Sponsor the day or a tree (click through as if you’re buying a ticket and the option will come up)
2. Remove a weed! Go out this weekend to your local bushland park, find a weed and pull it out! All over the world, invasive species compromise the health of the forest. Koalas need a healthy ecosystem. Even if you don’t have koalas in your part of the world, you will be helping us by helping other species, which are all linked to us! While you’re there, remove some rubbish too!
3. Plant a native tree! Even in the suburbs, trees are important for insects and birds. Without insects, nothing can live. If you don’t have land yourself, ask a farmer or friend. Read an expert list of native trees in the You Yangs region here.
4. Protect a forest. Support Great Koala National Park, NSW Australia; Great Forest National Park, VIC Australia. There is an up-to-date list of petitions and campaigns here.
5. Join a tree planting organisation like Koala Clancy Foundation VIC, Bangalow Koalas northern NSW, Queensland Koala Crusaders southern QLD, Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation VIC, Koala Action Gympie Region QLD, California ReLeaf; Plant a Billion USA; Tree Project Australia; Greening Australia; Conservation Volunteers Australia
6. Go to a local beach with a garbage bag and collect some discarded plastic! Human rubbish is clogging our waterways and oceans, and the ocean gives us all life. Concentrate on plastic rubbish, and string, fishing line, balloon strings – anything that can trap birds or sea mammals.
7. Donate to a rewilding or conserving organisation: Sempervirens Fund USA Rewilding Europe; Wilderness Foundation UK; Nature Conservancy USA; Trust for Nature Australia; Bush Heritage Australia
8. Change one thing in your life for the day. If you normally get a takeaway coffee, take or buy a re-usable cup. If you normally get lunch wrapped in plastic, ask for it in a paper bag or take your own container. If you’re doing any printing, buy a ream of recycled paper. If you are going shopping, buy one less thing – humans have too much stuff and wildlife is paying for it.
9. Call a politician today. Your local representative is best, but you can also call state and federal ministers and senators. Tell them that koalas are important to you (or if you’re overseas, replace koala with a native animal) Politicians make laws for/against our wildlife but often they don’t know what real people want. Tell them – even as few as 10 phone calls on a subject can change a politicians vote. Read more about calling politicians here.
If you have any other ideas, let us know! Are you part of a great organisation that is helping wildlife and nature? Please contact us and we will include you!
Watch out for Wild Koala Day May 3 every year! Start preparing now!
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Compiled by Janine Duffy, President
Koala Clancy Foundation, Inc
koala clancy 