Steve Whan
Member for Monaro

MEDIA RELEASE

Southern Tablelands school students become koala habitat champions

Thursday, 21 May 2026

Three Southern Tablelands high schools are the latest to join the Koala Smart Champions Program that has seen more than 400 local students roll up their sleeves to help restore koala habitat over the last three years.

Across two recent field days, students from Snowy Mountains Grammar School, The Alpine School and Jindabyne High School planted koala food trees and other grassy woodland species on Crown land along the river in Numeralla as part of the program.

The students were led by staff from Wagtail Native Nursery and National Parks and Wildlife Service in the fieldwork component, supported by South East Local Land Services, and Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare.

The Koala Smart Champions Program connects students with hands-on conservation, such as planting trees and doing koala habitat assessments.

The students also took part in discussions with experts on how the community can address threats affecting local koalas and their habitat.

Member for Monaro Steve Whan said:

"This program has fantastic dual benefits for local students and the local environment.

"It brings the curriculum to life by giving students hands-on experience in their own backyard, providing the chance to make a meaningful contribution to koala conservation."

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Senior Project Officer Dr Sally Miller said:

"The Koala Smart Champions Program was designed in partnership with the Southern Tablelands Regional Koala Conservation Partnership and the Kosciuszko Education Centre to connect classroom learning with practical on-ground habitat restoration.

"With more than 400 students taking part over the past three years, it has been really heartening to bring to life their enthusiasm and optimism for protecting local koalas.

"Some of the recent students were also lucky enough to see a wild koala when they visited the assessment site, a wonderful way to reinforce the value of their efforts."