Extinction crisis education must improve to tackle koala conservation

Claire Halliday
Claire Halliday

Only 37 per cent of Australians reportedly believe we are in an extinction crisis, despite Australia’s much loved – and most iconic – animal, the koala, being officially listed as an endangered species on Australia’s east coast.

To tackle the issue of koala conservation head-on, a partnership between Australia Post and WWF-Australia has produced a series of curriculum-aligned educational resources designed to raise awareness among school students, ahead of WWF’s Earth Hour event on 23 March.

The Earth Hour Educational Resources promote the protection of this quintessentially Australian mammal and were developed in conjunction with leading educational not-for-profit, Cool.org, with an aim to equip Aussie kids with knowledge about biodiversity and the serious threats pushing koalas towards extinction.

In the lead-up to this weekend’s annual Earth Hour event, eight school-based lesson plans targeting primary and secondary students have been made available online. The Earth Hour Educational Resources are now available to more than 175,000 teachers via the Cool.org network.

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Education helps protect koala habitat

Habitat destruction, climate change and extreme weather events have had a significant impact on the
koala population, with the marsupials officially listed as endangered in New South Wales, Queensland,
and the Australian Capital Territory.

While 78 per cent of Australians report caring about the extinction of plants and animals, surprisingly, research shows that 40 per cent of Australians still believe our natural environment is in a good or excellent state.

Australia Post General Manager Community and Stakeholder Engagement, Nicky Tracey, says Australia Post was proud to partner with WWF-Australia on such a critical conservation initiative.

“Australia Post touches every corner of the country, and we are committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we operate. We are proud to partner with WWF-Australia to bring this program to life,” she says.

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“The work WWF do is vital for the preservation of our native wildlife and ecosystems. The Earth Hour Educational Resources provide an accessible entry point for school children to learn about the threats to our koalas, the importance of biodiversity, and the impacts of climate change.”

WWF-Australia’s Species Recovery and Landscape Restoration Senor Manager, Tanya Pritchard says
this initiative will support WWF’s ambitious goal to double the number of koalas on Australia’s east coast.

“We can reverse the sad decline of this Aussie icon, but it will require rapid action and cross-sectoral
partnerships to protect koala habitat. With the help of partners like Australia Post, we’re excited to roll out these pivotal educational resources to students across the country to build awareness and
advocacy,” she says.

“Through this education we hope to make the threat of koala extinction a mainstream issue and
promote the importance of conservation efforts to protect and restore their forest homes. It’s critical for us to arm future generations with the knowledge to affect positive change.”

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Claire Halliday has an extensive career as a full-time writer - across book publishing, copywriting, podcasting and feature journalism - for more than 25 years. She lives in Melbourne with children, two border collies and a grumpy Burmese cat. Contact: claire.halliday[at]brandx.live