Koala expert takes out annual Eureka Prize for citizen science conservation efforts

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Eureka prize for Innovation in Citizen Science has gone to Flinders University team Passport to Recovery, a project tracking the recovery of South Australia's Kangaroo Island in the wake of devastating bushfires in 2020. More than 5,000 tourists from 47 countries have helped out by logging information, including the state of the island's koalas, soil, seals and oyster reef.

Transcript

00:00To Recovery is a citizen science program aimed at both visitors and locals to Kangaroo Island

00:08to participate in the process of monitoring the recovery of habitats and wildlife after

00:14the 2020 Black Summer bushfires.

00:17Okay, so by way of background then, Kangaroo Island was devastated by those bushfires, wasn't

00:21it?

00:22What was the level of destruction?

00:23Kangaroo Island experienced a catastrophic fire event that burnt close to half of the

00:29island, mostly the western end of the island where a lot of the native vegetation is.

00:34And it destroyed stock, infrastructure, sadly two people lost their lives and an unknown

00:40number of wildlife also.

00:43And how many citizen scientists took part in the project then and how did you encourage

00:48them to be part of it all and how did you put them to work?

00:52So the Passport to Recovery is an ongoing project that seeks to really engage people to become

00:59part of the process of monitoring the recovery as it happens.

01:03Native vegetation and habitats are remarkably resilient to bushfires.

01:07Of course, you know, this was a very catastrophic event, but it's exciting to see the recovery

01:13of the habitat and people when they visit the island get really encouraged to see the recovery.

01:19And they, through the Passport to Recovery app, which has 12 linked projects across the

01:24island.

01:25They can come on their holiday and they can pick up the projects where they like based

01:29on their interest and really be part of contributing valuable data to the science of monitoring the

01:35recovery.

01:36It's also usable by the managers of wildlife and other environmental things.

01:41And how is the recovery going?

01:43You're a koala expert in particular, I understand.

01:46What's the situation with those animals?

01:48So koalas, the koala populations are recovering on the island, they're moving back into previously

01:53burnt habitats and they're reproducing.

01:56So that's very encouraging to see.

01:58And yeah, I mean, wildlife is starting to show up in places that they just weren't after

02:04the fires.

02:05And we're also getting other information about, say, for instance, a root rot pathogen that

02:11kills off native vegetation and can be transmitted by people's shoes or in car tires.

02:17And so people are taking samples of their boots, dirty boots, submitting it to us.

02:23We do some sequencing in the lab and we can map the spread and distribution of this pathogen,

02:28which likes to sort of invade into areas that have been burnt in particular.

02:32So where does the project go from here?

02:34So the project was funded by the Commonwealth Inspiring Science program.

02:42And that funding has come to an end.

02:43But now with our wonderful partners, so particularly Sea Link travel group, as well as other project

02:50partners, we are looking for a way to just go from establishment of this project to long

02:55term maintenance, because we think it adds something of real value to the island.

03:01Tourism is a major component of the economy of Kangaroo Island.

03:04And I think that people in today's day and age are increasingly concerned and desperate

03:11about the state of nature.

03:12They want to be a part of the solution, but they don't necessarily know how to contribute.

03:16And so citizen science generally is a fantastic way to make a meaningful contribution.

03:22And even in your leisure time, you can relax and have a good time, but also do something

03:29that feels authentic and meaningful.

03:30And what does it mean for the project and for you personally to win a Eureka Prize?

03:36It's a real encouragement to us to, first of all, be in a room with people who are committed

03:45to knowledge, evidence and to the public good for helping people in the planet.

03:52And to be amongst peers like that, having recognition, it is a real encouragement because it is hard work.

03:59And also, you know, you feel sort of almost bad for people who didn't win on the night

04:07because you think, well, they're doing equally as good work and they really are.

04:11We were runners up last, well, we were finalists last year, winners this year.

04:15And so it gives a great deal of motivation to continue with the work that we're doing.

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