Citizen scientists needed for koala study

Citizen scientists are needed to join "The Great Victorian Koala Survey".
Kelly Smith from Federation University is calling on local residents - particularly those in Warragul and Drouin areas north of the freeway - to help find koala scats.
Whilst group volunteering sessions will be organised in large public reserves, Ms Smith is particularly keen to gain access to the many koalas living on private properties.
As a result, she is urging those who have seen or heard koalas on their property to make contact. Alternatively, they can look out and collect koala scats themselves.
Ms Smith said it was all part of the state government's long awaited koala survey to provide accurate estimates of population, genetics and health status. This will help determine the extent of the remnant South Gippsland population.
She said the research, the first of its kind in Victoria, was a very exciting and important step towards understanding the state's koala population.
Koala scats will be sent to Federation University for the DNA on the surface to be analysed for genetic information such as sex and disease status. The DNA also will inform of ancestral origins.
Organisers said it would take a huge team effort to save the koala.
Ms Smith said the benefit of using citizen scientists in the study was being able to cover larger areas in a shorter amount of time, compared to just using a few dedicated field staff.
Engaging citizen scientists also gives the community more ownership of the outcomes and helps to bridge the gap between the general public and scientists.
This project will see group volunteering scat collection sessions held in Gippsland across most weekends from now until the end of March 2024.
If you would like to be involved, have any questions or want to gain scat collection information sheets, email Kelly Smith at kellyj.smith@federation.edu.au