It is Save the Koala Month in September dedicated to raising awareness about koalas and their habitat.
The month’ highpoint is Save the Koala Day on September 27th. This year we are holding our inaugural fundraising luncheon on this day to raise much needed funds for our Northern Rivers Koala Hospital.
There are a very small number of tickets left so if you happen to visit the area or live locally and would like to attend, don’t waste any time and secure your ticket now. If you cannot attend, please consider becoming a Friend of the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital, we would be very grateful for any support received.
Of course, Friends of the Koala, along with countless others, campaigns tirelessly throughout the year for koalas. Public awareness campaigns like Save the Koala Month and Day are essential in improving awareness, educating communities, fostering the political and social change needed to save koalas from extinction.
The Northern Rivers Koala Hospital – fourth anniversary and insecurity
In August 2020, Friends of the Koala celebrated the receipt of our licence to operate the first koala hospital in the Northern Rivers allowing us to carry out immediate vet care and procedures onsite – giving rescued koalas a far better chance of survival.
Now, four years on the fate of the only koala hospital in the Northern Rivers is uncertain as funding dries up and donations have plummeted.
The fact is there is limited funding to go around for not for profits. Animal welfare organisations are especially hard hit. Even though we all have the same goal of saving our beloved animals and the environment, the reality is that organisations are competing for a small pot of funds with each other while, at the same time, collaborating with each other for the benefit of wildlife.
Donors are limited and due to the financial crisis and cost of living, many would-be donors simply cannot afford to be as philanthropic as they wish to be.
Friends of the Koala need to raise funds to address the lack of government support for annual operating expenses.
Save the Koala Month
This Save the Koala Month, we ask that you consider supporting not only our work but the collective goal of saving koalas as a species from extinction. There are many ways to do this and any donation, no matter how big or small, is super appreciated.
We also invite you to please consider becoming a Friend of the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital which is our new VIP program offering friendship tiers with exclusive benefits. Friends of the Koala must raise $500,000 annually just to keep the doors of our koala hospital open. The aim of our friendship program is to raise $500,000 per annum whilst also allowing us to personalise our thanks and recognise your generosity to demonstrate just how much we value your support.
No matter the size or the frequency of donation, we consider our donors as partners who are investing not only in our work but in transformation, social change, community, the survival of the species, the planet and – in turn – our own survival.
Other ways to support us throughout Save the Koala Month
There are many ways for you to take action to save the species – many of which don’t require a donation. At the beginning of the year we gave you some great examples here. We also wrote about how to encourage a love of wildlife in our youngest members of society which is a wonderful way to create the social change needed with the people that will inherit the world – let’s leave it in better shape for them.
When we talk about competing for funds, we unfortunately also compete for visibility online – especially with the enigma/bane of our lives that is social media algorithm. We have a special ask to please comment, like, share as much as you possibly can on any/all networks that you are on to increase our reach and if there are certain things you like seeing more of – let us know!!
Why Friends of the Koala
We know that there are so many worthy of support but if you’re here, hopefully you have a special desire to help koalas and if you do, we genuinely believe that we are one of the most effective and vitally important organisations for koala conservation.
Friends of the Koala is one of Australia’s leading charitable koala rescue and rehabilitation organisations and have been on the forefront of koala conservation for almost four decades.
In this time, we have proven that we are both highly effective and vitally important to the future of koalas, operating the only dedicated koala hospital in the Northern Rivers as well as participating in ground-breaking research, habitat conservation through our native plant nursery, education and advocacy.
We have a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by koalas in our region and work directly with the community to foster coexistence with koalas. We also work with decision makers to strengthen and develop laws, policies, awareness campaigns and programs.
Friends of the Koala fast facts:
- Since it’s inception in 2019, our Koala Hospital has more than doubled the survival rate of rescued koalas admitted to our onsite Koala Care Centre.
- We provide medical treatment to over 350 koalas each year – more than any other koala hospital in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
- We are currently the ONLY wildlife hospital in NSW licensed to vaccinate all koalas against chlamydia upon their healthy release to the wild. Chlamydial disease is the number one disease killer of koalas in our region.
- We have successfully rehabilitated and released over 2,000 koalas back into the wild.
We can’t end without mentioning how much we value and appreciate the work and commitment of our volunteers whose donation of time allow us to keep our operational costs remarkably low.
The monetary value of their contributions is estimated at a minimum of $3 million dollars per annum, three times our operating budget. The social and environmental value of their contribution is higher yet as they are filling an otherwise unmet need. Volunteer with us.
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