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GO TO SAVE KOALA HABITAT

Pastel on Pastelmat paper

 Original Image Size 28 X 42 cm

As a board member of the recently formed Koala Territory Foundation, I have a committed interest in helping to acquire and protect koala habitat. It is a simple and often overlooked fact that koalas are a keystone species in their eucalypt forest habitat. As such the trees and the rest of the ecosystem are deeply connected and invested in the ongoing health and well-being of the koalas. I cannot imagine living in a world deprived of such incredible beings as these gorgeous furry marsupials.

Living on an exclusive diet of eucalyptus leaves the koala obtains most of its moisture from the leaves themselves and rarely drinks water although in very dry times they can sometimes be observed drinking from watercourses and indeed they are also very good swimmers. In times of flood, they can frequently be seen swimming to the safety of other trees.

Their exclusive leaf diet is very low in calorific content so a koala must consume around 1 kilogram of leaves every single day. Even then they are only active for maybe 6 hours a day as they simply do not have the nutrient intake to sustain more activity. Another way the koala has evolved to cope with a low nutrient diet is to shrink the brain which otherwise would consume great amounts of energy. In actual fact the brain is only 0.2% of the koala's total body weight.    

Now all of that aside the koala is declining rapidly all up and down the East coast of Australia, through unwise land development and habitat clearance. I can but wonder why we humans insist on destroying more and more natural habitat when the truth is plain to see.  If we destroy nature, we also destroy what gives us life.

Healthy koalas are indicators of healthy ecosystems and that has got to be a plus for all living things. This mum and her tiny joey depicted in this soft pastel painting are very healthy and they inspire me to work ever harder for their continued existence and their enjoyment of healthy ecosystems.

If you would like to help us save koalas and their habitat please visit the KTF website..... https://www.koalaterritory.org.au