Overview #
The project uses citizen science for koala conservation. Through encouraging participatory research members of the public can report koala sightings of koala’s who may have been impacted by threats including habitat destruction, disease, climate change, vehicle strikes, dog attacks, swimming pool drownings, fencing, and livestock impacts.
Abstract #
In 2022, the conservation status of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) authorities reclassified from “vulnerable” to “endangered” in several regions of Australia following population declines due to an array of anthropogenic threats. Threats include habitat destruction, disease, climate change, vehicle strikes, dog attacks, swimming pool drownings, fencing, and livestock. Of these threats, disease (i.e., chlamydia) is a significant issue affecting koala survival and reproduction. Despite decades of conservation efforts, koala numbers continue to fall. Conservation efforts typically involve wildlife management solutions, wildlife signage, habitat restoration projects and koala awareness campaigns (Tkaczynski and Rundle-Thiele, 2023).
In Southeast Queensland, disease researchers recognise as the primary threat resulting in koalas’ admission to hospitals. Koala’s captured and treated in a timely manner have a higher likelihood of survival. In response, the public can play a role in koala conservation by reporting koala sightings through citizen science initiatives. The team ran 8 workshops over 2 years via a Co-Create–Build–Engage (CBE) approach to understand about optimal program design elements as well as factors affecting volunteer motivation and retention.
Following this co-creation stage the team generated evidence to support the implementation of strategies for citizen science, which are in varying stages of development, piloting, and evaluation. They explained that incorporating citizen science as a novel approach shows much promise, but these initiatives often struggle to attract and retain volunteers due to a variety of barriers such as time burdens, uncertainty about the salience of the program due to lack of communication or insufficient feedback mechanisms, and challenges with digital tools. Future research should focus on the piloting and evaluation of the program elements identified across the dataset, guided by factors such as feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and the potential for positive impact upon koala conservation.
Access #
Liz Foote – Griffith University, l.foote@griffith.edu.au, Queensland, Australia
Location #
Australia
Keywords #
Conservation, participatory research, citizen science, WSMC 2025
