DOI: 10.15468/9ci985
title: National Parks Association of NSW Great Koala Count

description: Welcome to the Great Koala Count!

The Great Koala Count is an exciting large-scale Citizen Science survey being run by National Parks Association, in partnership with the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative. The Great Koala Count is running from the 7th to the 17th of November and everyone is invited to join! The aim of the Count is to create a comprehensive picture of Koala numbers and locations across the landscape by engaging the community directly in a once-a-year survey. With sufficient support, it is hoped the Count will be replicated each year to show trends in Koala populations, movement and habitat use over time.

A free GPS enabled smartphone app 'BioTag' which links to the Atlas of Living Australia has been developed specifically for the Count. BioTag will enable participants to easily record the location of each Koala they see, along with a series of observational questions about the Koala and its habitat. This will result in the generation of scientifically robust data and will serve to complement existing Koala records. The survey breaks new ground by allowing anyone to record and share their own ecological data, as well as to view the data collected by others. People who do not own a Smartphone can upload their sightings directly to the Koala Count data portal.

The Count includes two surveys, one for Koala sightings and one to record other common species sighted during your Koala search. Knowing that no Koala sightings have been made in a survey area is as important as surveys that locate Koalas, as it helps to build a more complete picture of Koala distribution. We would like you to record as many of the common species as you see so we know where you were looking.

How will counting Koalas help?
By participating in the Great Koala Count, you will help build a more detailed picture of Koalas and their habitat use, providing a valuable resource for planning future Koala conservation projects and helping to make a difference to this unique Australian animal. The more people that get involved, the more valuable data we will generate and therefore the more successful the survey will be.

Long-term aims
The long-term aim is to repeat the Count annually so that changes in populations and the effectiveness of conservation efforts, along with the impact of events such as drought and fire, can be monitored over time. The analysis of this monitoring can be used to inform decisions about future conservation effort.

How to get involved
Getting involved is quick and easy and anyone can join. To participate, simply register as an NPA Citizen Scientist here. Once you have registered, you can download BioTag, our Citizen Scientists Smartphone App which is available from Google Play and iTunes. Once you have downloaded BioTag you are free to practice with it anytime up until the start of the Count, after which you are ready to start recording your Koala sightings. We will delete all records entered before the Count so don't worry about making a mistake or entering test data. At the end of the Count participants will each receive a report of the Great Koala Count survey findings.

To share your stories and experiences about the Count, and to be kept up to date with what is happening, join our new Koala Count Facebook page www.facebook.com.au/KoalaCount.