How do scientists find and count koalas in the wild? Find out during National Science Week 2026 by joining a real koala research survey at The Koala Sanctuary on Kangaroo Island. This is not just a talk: citizen scientists will collect observations that support wildlife monitoring and conservation.

Participants will join a guided koala survey with koala researchers, walking a marked route through forest habitat at The Koala Sanctuary. They will look for koalas in trees, learn how to spot signs that koalas are nearby, and record sightings using simple data collection tools. Along the way, participants will help note where koalas are found, which trees they are using, and what the surrounding habitat looks like.

Participants will also view and handle innovative technologies used to study koala movement and behaviour, such as GPS collars and a radio-tracking antenna, and learn how drones, thermal imaging and on-ground surveys can be used together to find and monitor wildlife.

Koalas are one of Australia’s most loved animals, but their conservation story is surprisingly complex. Kangaroo Island’s koalas are an important population, and monitoring helps researchers understand how they use the landscape, what types of habitats they rely on, and how populations change over time. At Koala Connections, citizen scientists will see koalas not just as animals to photograph, but as part of a living landscape that scientists, land managers and communities are working together to understand.