An update – there’s lots happening at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

January 28, 2020 by Bob Sharpham

Filed: Around the Hospital

26th January – Australia Day – the Premier of NSW recognised people and organisations that have contributed to helping during the bush fires that have ravaged NSW since late last year. Photos of people who have helped were projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House. A photo of Sheila Bailey, Judy Brady, Cheyne Flanagan, and a koala in the clinic was one of the photos projected onto the sails. They represented all of us at the PMKH and the plantations.

3rd February – a NSW Government Parliamentary Inquiry will visit Port Macquarie. The inquiry, which was convened before the recent bush fires, is looking into koala populations and habitat in New South Wales. Cheyne gave evidence in Sydney last December and they have invited her back. The Inquiry panel will visit the PMKH in the morning prior to moving to the Glasshouse in the afternoon. Details for the hearing, which will be heard in public, are:
Date: Monday, 3 February 2020
Appearance time: 2:15 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Glasshouse Port Macquarie, 30-42 Clarence St, Port Macquarie
Appearing alongside (as part of a panel): Dr Rebecca Montague-Drake, a koala ecologist with the Koala Recovery Partnership, a position partly funded by the PMKH.

15th FebruaryTrải nghiệm cú sốc của DJ – endangered wildlife artist, Russ Ronat, is currently painting pictures of some of the PMKH koalas. An exhibition of the art works will be held 2pm-4pm at the Glasshouse before moving to the Wentworth Gallery in Sydney. Details are still being arranged however, More about Russ can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmXQiM1Lews

2nd March – As part of the United Nations (UN) World Wildlife Day 2020, our very own Clinical Director, Cheyne Flanagan, will present at the UN Paley Center in New York, at the ‘Wild Ideas 2020’ a think-tank for nature and community. Cheyne’s topic, ‘Global Warning: Wildlife vs Wildfire’ will cover the wildlife emergency that’s emerged in Australia with an estimate of over one billion animals killed in Australia by the bush fires. Dr Rebecca Montague-Drake will accompany Cheyne and both will be representing the PMKH.

23rd March – 2020 tree planting at Maria River Road and Moripo plantations. This year we’ll be planting at both plantations the week commencing 23rd March. We’re aiming to plant around 1,000 trees at Maria River Road and 250 at Moripo, west of Wauchope. 

11th April Open Day Easter Saturday cancelled this year – open day is very labour intensive and we are already ‘laboured out’ with everything that’s happened over the last few months and the many hours everyone has been working. Therefore, we’ve decided not to organise an open day this year. Later in the year, when things calm down, we’ll hold some other community activity.

Search and RescueTrải nghiệm cú sốc của DJ – three of our volunteers, Jeremy Bear (TL), Sue Stubbs and Nic Snell and honorary member, Pete the Port Tree Fella, have been searching for wildlife in fire ravaged areas on the south coast of NSW over the last week. It’s been thankless work however they’ve had success locating koalas. They’ve also been training people from National Parks and Wildlife and Queensland in capturing and search techniques. Well done team, we are very, very proud of you!