Aussie Ark's new initiative 'Conservation from the Couch' is urging Hunter residents to get involved with wildlife conservation and vote for their next big project.
The organisation, which focuses on species and habitat rehabilitation, has delivered native wildlife conservation outcomes for 10 years and boasts the largest mainland insurance population of the quickly disappearing Tasmanian devil.
But what should they focus on next?
From building a facility for the threatened Hunter River turtles to planting 1,000 trees for Australia's largest wild, disease-free Koala population, Aussie Ark has five new rehabilitation plans for specific endangered species.
"We are located at Barrington Tops in the Upper Hunter, so all five of our species are or were present in the local area" said Aussie Ark's Operation Manager William Hanson.
Residents can vote to save the spotted tail quoll, broad toothed rat, koala or help the organisation rewild the Barrington Tops area, but the project that hits home is helping the Hunter River turtle.
"The Hunter River turtle was identified to be in a critical state even before the drought and bush fires, its watercourse has stopped flowing which has had massive effect on the population numbers and its now estimated the numbers are less than 1000 for the entire species," said William Hanson.
Detailed information on all five projects is available on Aussie Ark's website at www.aussieark.org. and once the organisation receive 20,000 votes the initiative will be decided.
"It's intended for people to be able to sit down with their families, learn a lot about the species themselves, the conservation initiatives that we have proposed and conservation in general," said William Hanson.
The organisation is urging people to vote not only with their heart, but their heads, as the future of conservation is in their hands.
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| Aussie Ark's Five Conservation Projects. |
