Koala picnic shares practical ways we can help the endangered marsupial Coffs Coast Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - November 4, 2022 Families, friends and supporters joined in a Koala Family Fun Day at Coffs Botanic Gardens to learn what practical ways they can help support the endangered koalas. THE Koala Family Picnic in the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden on Sunday, 30 October following The Vanishing conference on Saturday, saw people gather to hear more about how koalas live, what’s being done to protect local koala habitat and how they can show their support. Danielle Ryan, National Parks Association NSW’s Conservation Campaigner, was one of the event’s hosts. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “It was great to see families gathering on a rare sunny day in the Botanic Gardens to raise awareness about the need to protect koala habitat and create the Great Koala National Park,” Danielle said. “We listened to some beautiful tunes by local musician Hannah Harlen and Art by Trudy brought her creativity to the day with her beautiful face painting skills. “We had such a wonderful time, so we hope to do this again for the community next year.” Dave Wood, a former teacher and local koala campaigner, shared facts and figures about why people need to step up to protect a creature we have driven to endangered status over the past decades with over development and destruction to their habitat. “I spoke about what the Great Koala National Park proposal means to the region and touched on practical things we can all do while we wait for the politics to play out,” Dave told NOTA. “An important act is to report any local koala presence you see on the Council Have Your Say Koala Register and to support and acknowledge the work done by organisations such as WIRES, Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance, Friends of Pine Creek and local landowners who are replanting koala corridors.” A Koala Family Challenge was held as a fun way to help educate and engage families on koalas, such as encouraging families to go on a hunt in the Botanic Gardens to find koala food trees and take photos. “We also held a competition for the best koala poem or song,” said Danielle. “Two families shared two wonderful poems and were both crowned winners.” You can find the Council’s Have Your Say Koala Register at www.haveyoursay.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/Koala-Register. By Andrea FERRARI Kids learned about koala habitat, lifestyles and how they can help them not become extinct by 2050. Education, awareness and what we can all do were discussed at the Koala Family Picnic held after The Vanishing conference.
