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Working with River Nations Rangers to monitor koalas in the Bundaberg Region

Rangers from the River Nations Indigenous Corporation have been supported by the National Koala Monitoring Program (NKMP) team to build Traditional Owner capacity to undertake koala monitoring in the region. As part of this collaboration River Nations rangers have learned how to identify and record koala tree scratchings, and undertake koala and habitat assessment surveys based on guidelines published by the NKMP and supported by the NKMP KoalaCounter app. River Nations monitoring efforts have been undertaken alongside NKMP monitoring activites to survey at 137 sites and provide cruicial information on koala populations within the region. This information will help the NKMP build better estimates of koala populations regionally and across the country.

Two men and a woman look upwards into gum trees through binoculars
River Nations Rangers out on Country completing koala surveys.

This partnership supports a River Nations Inc project that is funded by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s Koala Recovery Fund. This Koala Recovery project is focused on fauna monitoring, ecological restoration activities and fauna and weed management planning in the region.

A group of people sit on fold-up chairs and blankets in a cleared area near native vegetation
A community event co-led by River Nations and NKMP team at Meadowvale Nature Park helped ensure koala monitoring and habitat restoration activities were explained and supported by Elders, local Queensland Park rangers and key community partners.

Traditional Owner and Senior Ranger Everett Johnson reflected on the collaboration with the NKMP team "This is a great example of a great cross-cultural partnership. River Nations rangers have learned valuable monitoring skills that we can now apply to support fauna monitoring activities with other partners. This partnership has also helped to ensure Traditional Owners and the community understand and support koala monitoring and habitat restoration activities in the region."

A man checks an iPad in a wooded area at night
River Nations Ranger Everett Johnson completing koala surveys at night.