THE threats to Australia's koala population was brought to the world stage in New York thanks to a Mid-North Coast delegation of experts.
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As part of the United Nations World Wildlife Day on March 4, Cheyne Flanagan clinical director Koala Hospital Port Macquarie, and Dr Rebecca Montague-Drake, project lead of the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation's Koala Recovery Partnership project, were invited to attend official proceedings on the floor of the United Nations headquarters in New York.
This provided an incredible opportunity for the Mid-North Coast region to feature at the United Nations and allowed Cheyne and Rebecca to talk directly with UN delegates about the threats that face koalas.
Also on show was the work of the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation and the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital in undertaking koala conservation in key habitats across the region.
The United Nation's World Wildlife Day has become the most important global annual event dedicated to wildlife and includes the Jackson Wild 'Wild Ideas' Think Tank which this year had as a theme 'Global Warning: Wildlife vs Wildfire', exploring the impacts of global change on wildlife habitats.
The UN Ambassador for Biodiversity attended the event together with key scientists from around the world.
Dr Montague- Drake said the day was inspiring, particularly hearing from youth delegates and from countries that have set strong conservation targets and are moving actively towards them. For example, Costa Rica has nearly achieved its target of protecting 30 per cent of its land mass, while India has reversed the decline of tigers.
"It was fantastic to hear of the social and economic success stories that have accompanied these conservation gains. Not surprisingly, the day was also very sobering, as we were reminded that one million species are faced with extinction and of the inescapable reliance of humanity upon healthy ecosystems," she said.
The Koala Recovery Partnership Project is a project of the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation, funded by a consortium comprising the NSW Government's 'Saving Our Species' Program, the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and Kempsey Shire Council.
