SA citizen scientists encouraged to join national koala count
South Australian citizen scientists are being called on to help researchers count the state’s koala population as part of a national program aimed at better protecting the iconic marsupial.
The 2024 SA Great Koala Count kicks off this Saturday 16 November at Belair National Park and the state and federal governments are encouraging residents to participate in the week-long survey.
People can take part using the CSIRO’s Koala Spotter app which allows everyone to record and monitor koalas in their local area. Using Koala Spotteris easy: if you see a koala, record its location in the app, try to snap a photo if possible, and then simply press 'done’ to submit the entry.
The data is fed directly into the $10 million National Koala Monitoring Program (NKMP), which is funded by the Australian Government and led by the CSIRO.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service and other state government agencies will also be assisting the count. People can record koalas on any public or private land, from the state’s far-west all the way to the south east.
The intention is to use the data from the count to inform future koala conservation and management efforts across both South Australia and the rest of Australia.
The SA count is a collaboration between the CSIRO and the Flinders University Koala Conservation Hub.
National Koala Monitoring Program lead and CSIRO Senior Research Scientist Dr Andrew Hoskins said the aim of the National Koala Monitoring Program is to build and deliver a robust estimate of koala populations nationally.
“To do this we use technology including drones, systematic visual surveys, data integration from previous and historic sources, scat analysis, detection dogs and citizen science apps,” Dr Hoskins said.
Flinders University Professor of Biodiversity and Conservation and Koala Conservation Hub lead Karen Burke da Silva said the Count offers an exciting opportunity for families to participate in koala conservation and management efforts throughout the state, including beautiful locations like Belair National Park.
“Spotting koalas can be challenging, whether they’re up high in the gum trees or on the ground, so improving our knowledge about their population is crucial,” Professor da Silva said.
The latest national koala population estimate according to the monitoring program is between 224,000 and 524,000. The next estimate is due in March 2025.
While koala numbers in South Australia appear healthy, in February 2022 the marsupial was officially listed as endangered across New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
To take part in the count, download Koala Spotter from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store for Android devices.
