PROJECT: Wild Koala Research in You Yang Regional Park
Location: Melbourne’s Western Plainss, Vic
Categories: Conservation monitoring, natural history
Major questions
- How many koalas live in 2 distinct areas of the You Yangs, what is their sex ratio, and are they increasing, declining or stable?
- How do koalas use different habitats, species of trees and what part of the tree do they use through the year and does it vary seasonally?
- How do koalas interact with each other? Do they interact with other species?
- How large are koala home ranges, and do they overlap?
- How do koalas use areas infested with Boneseed Chrysanthemoides monilifera?
Species and habitats
- Koala Phascolarctos cinereus
- Small birds that use koala fur – all honeyeaters so far including Brown-headed, Black-chinned and New Holland
- Open Granite Hills Woodland dominated by River Red Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Yellow Gum E. leucoxylon
Tourism connection:
Research conducted during day tours with Echidna Walkabout. Researchers are employed by tour operator to find wild koalas for the tour, and record observations on koala sex, location, tree species, behaviour. Wildlife Guide takes note of same things at a different time of the same day.
Contact: Janine Duffy, Echidna Walkabout
Tourist and other volunteer involvement
Tourists are encouraged to help find wild koalas, and assist Guide or Researcher with observation while they are there. Tourists are usually fascinated and thrilled that their tour cost is contributing to helping koalas through research. In addition, tourists have increasingly been asking to contribute their time to helping koalas, so we have started a voluntourism project: “Make a Home for Clancy” that endeavours to remove enough Boneseed weed in a year to improve koala habitat substantially.
Links: You Yangs Koala Research