Sunlight glistened off the dewy eucalyptus leaves creating a kaleidoscope of sun rays that danced on the leaf littered ground. It was beautiful, but yet, all eyes were still on the towering tree canopies. “I found one!” called an excited voice through the still of early morning.
“Me too!” came another.
There, hidden in the branches of ancient looking trees, were two grey balls of fur with large fluffy ears and sleepy eyes munching away on the eucalyptus leaves.
A species once seen as abundant in Australia, now stand on fragile ground.
Many Australians can go their whole lives without ever spotting a koala, but here on the Clarke-Connors Range a thriving koala population is an incredibly rare and welcome sight.
Koala sightings in Queensland never used to be a thing of novelty, the bushland of eastern and southeastern Australia once carried the steady rustle of koalas in the treetops as well. But over the past two centuries, that chorus has thinned. Fire has swept through forests, roads have fractured ranges, cars and dogs have struck koalas on the ground, and land clearing has stolen away the gum trees they depend on. Piece by piece, their stronghold has faded.
In 2022, a line was drawn in history and in the hearts of Australians’ as koalas were officially listed as endangered in Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT under the EPBC Act. A species once seen as abundant in Australia, now stand on fragile ground, their survival resting on the choices we make today.
In the Clarke-Connors Ranges, the magic of abundant and thriving koala populations still exists but it’s a future that depends on care.
With $4.5 million from the Australian Government’s Saving Koalas Fund, FBA has been working hard to keep the magic of these thriving populations alive since 2023. Through working with passionate land managers, First Nations peoples and koala researchers FBA has restored over 2,600ha of koala habitat through weed control, fencing, grazing management and fire planning.
Sam Wright, and his family, are passionate land managers who jumped at the opportunity to work with FBA and started working to protect the koalas on their property in 2024.
Throughout the life of the program FBA have been able to support Sam and his family with 1,000ha of fencing, 400ha of weed control, 45km of fire breaks accompanied by a fire management plan, three new watering points and 5.2km of fencing to support koala friendly grazing management.
“The funding that is available is a huge help. Being a small family business on such a large area to manage, we wouldn’t be able to do this kind of work to this extent without the help of FBA and these projects and we know we are incredibly fortunate to have such a unique koala population here so we want to do everything we can to look after them,” said Sam
He laughs as he recalls a moment looking out the window and spotting a koala staring back at him across the house yard.
“For us, it’s easy to take them for granted because they’re just part of daily life, but the reality is that this isn’t a normal experience for most Australians. We’re very lucky to have such a healthy, thriving population.”
Sam’s passion for koalas extends beyond his own fence line and his voice falters as he talks about the need for awareness and genuine care to protect this incredible population they have in the Clarke-Connors Ranges.
“Sadly, we often see koalas hit on the highway which is something we can’t control — but on our property, we can make a difference. By reducing fuel loads, we’re lowering the risk of fires, which are a real concern around Nebo. Controlling lantana also gives koalas better access to their food trees. There are so many reasons why we wanted to get involved,” said Sam.
Echoing Sam’s sentiments, Greg and Vikki Neaton, the land managers at Denison Creek who have also been a part of FBA’s koala project say they couldn’t be happier with the work they have achieved with FBA.
“The work we did with FBA was almost too good to be true; it helped us fast track all the work we were already trying to do. Now our cattle benefit and so do the koalas,” said Greg.
While the habitat restoration work is essential, FBA’s mission to protect koalas runs deeper than the bushland itself. From slowing down speeding cars on the highway to educating communities’ that may know how close koalas truly are or what is being done to care for them.
On the Peak Downs Highway, research by CQUniversity paints a sobering picture. in just one year, 145 koalas were hit by vehicles on a 51km stretch of the Peak Downs Highway—83% of them died. Most were healthy animals simply trying to cross the road.
Out of this grim reality, FBA’s bumper sticker campaign was born. A small sticker with a big message, ‘slow down for koalas.’ Each one is a moving pledge to spark action behind the wheel. They’ve been spread across four community collection points, ready to ripple out through the region, one rear window at a time.
And it doesn’t stop with adults. FBA’s kids’ activity books have been sent into classrooms across the ClarkeConnors Range, where little hands colour, puzzle, and learn their way into conservation. These aren’t just activity books; they are the sparks of the conservationists of tomorrow. They celebrate the koalas that share our backyards, shine a light on the people working to protect them, and ask children to step up as ‘Koala Heroes.’ Because the future of conservation lies not just in today’s efforts, but in the next generation of caretakers.
“We’ve seen FBA’s bumper sticker campaign and the kid’s activity books, and that kind of work is just as important as the work done on properties, if not more so,” said Sam.
FBA is deeply committed to this region and to the koalas that make it special. Working hand-in-hand with many passionate landholders, community groups, and organisations FBA will continue to drive change — and attract more people to the mission. Together, we’re building a future where koalas don’t just survive, but thrive.
