Australia Koala Foundation (AKF)

An innovative new online mapping portal that will mobilise communities to help protect koalas and their habitats was launched by Esri Australia and the Australia Koala Foundation.

The AKF's KoalaMap lets the public be part of urgent efforts to protect Australia's cutest national treasure. It provides the ability to enter information into easy to navigate maps of local areas, adding to research on koala sightings and habitat quality.

Mapping and location intelligence experts Esri Australia partnered with the AKF to develop the user-friendly portal that provides an accurate account of koalas' wild habitats, irrespective of land ownership.

Australia Koala Foundation CEO Deborah Tabart OAM said she was excited to see more than $8 million worth of research and 25 years of koala information available to the public in such an accessible and readily usable form, offered absolutely for free.

"Koalas can never be protected until their trees are," said Ms Tabart.

"Esri Australia has taken our existing maps and extensive information database and transformed them into a web tool which enables the community to get involved by telling us what is on the ground."

"It will show people 'yes, I live in koala habitat' or 'no I don't'. This is the first key step for protection of the koala."

"Koalas are an important part of our national identity and it's important that we do whatever we can to ensure they are protected."

Ms Tabart said the AKF hoped the mapping application would bolster their efforts to have the koala listed as a vulnerable species by the Federal Government.

To view the maps, log koala sightings and much more...go to https://www.savethekoala.com/koalamap.html