Aussie Ark - Koala Ark Project
We are proud to continue supporting koala conservation. Koala Ark will be the world first and largest wild koala sanctuary. The aim for Koala Ark is to create a safe haven preventing extinction should the pattern of decline continue. $10 from the sale of every swimsuit sold from Blossom at our online boutique, will be donated to Koala Ark.
Koala Ark is a project of Aussie Ark, and will deliver the following actions:
• Protection of 7,000 hectare of Koala habitat within the NSW Barrington region through exclusion fencing
• Secure a wild population of 1,000-1,500 Koalas (Koala home ranges can be between 2-4 hectare per individual in suitable habitat. With over half of Koala Ark being preferred Koala habitat; over 1,300 Koalas will call Koala Ark home.)
• Protection from intense bushfire
• Weed management including removal of the invasive Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
• Removal of introduced species inclusive of horse, pigs, goat, cat and fox from protected areas
• Baseline surveys of fauna and flora present before and after protection of land is established
• Long-term monitoring of the sanctuary by field officers
Below is the budget list for the build and management of Koala Ark. These are some of the areas that our donations will go towards. Through our support we hope to help share and contribute as much as we can towards this project.
| Already completed | |
| Supply of accommodation, vehicles, equipment, machinery, resource | |
| Secured land of 7,000hectare of koala habitat in the NSW Barrington Region | |
| Yet to be completed | |
| $173 per hectare of land protected with feral exclusion fencing | $864,850 |
| Research and associated activities including radio tracking post release for 6 months in a wild landscape $2,233 per individual |
$111,650 |
| Bio-mapping and ecological survey of protected area | $20,000 |
| Weed management and site rehabilitation | $62,000 |
| Koala Hub / Joint research station | $25,000 (total cost of centre $180,000 split between multiple projects) |
| Fire Management (initial investment of machinery and proactive low intensity fire control) |
$80,000 |
| Long-term monitoring program | |
| 500 x $150 motion sensor cameras | $75,000 |
| 3 years x $45,000 time in the field by wildlife officers | $135,000 |
| TOTAL COST OVER 3 YEARS | $1,373,500 |
Time frame: 3 Years – Expected completion 2022
