Jade Patterson never set out to become the person looking after Minjerribah’s koalas. She arrived on the island in 2014 with her young family, having never visited before. She had grown up in Zambia and worked as a veterinarian in wildlife health and conservation, including research into koala disease on the mainland.
Minjerribah had other plans. The morning after she arrived, Jade picked up a severely injured koala from the side of the road. It had been hit by a vehicle.
“It was clear from this experience that the island needed greater capacity to assess and care for wildlife locally,” Jade says.
That one koala became the beginning of something much bigger. A local wildlife rescue group was formalised in 2016. A veterinary clinic followed, and the Koala and Wildlife Triage and Rehabilitation Centre was established at Straddie Vet. In January the same year, the Minjerribah Wildlife Veterinary and Conservation Foundation was established and Jade describes the journey simply.
“It feels less like a single decision and more like a path that unfolded through the animals, the community and the island itself.”
Minjerribah’s koalas are believed to have been naturally isolated from mainland populations for thousands of years. Research suggests they were here before European occupation, making them one of only two naturally occurring island koala populations in Australia. They also have their favourites, with swamp mahogany particularly important to the island population.
Keeping these koalas on Minjerribah for treatment and rehabilitation has become an important part of Jade’s work. Previously, koalas needing significant care had to leave the island and couldn’t necessarily return. Now many can be rescued, treated, rehabilitated and released right here.
“Caring for them on Minjerribah allows them to be returned to their home upon release,” Jade says.
“You absolutely become attached,” she admits. “But they are wild animals, and letting them go is the purpose of the work.”
She knows this particularly well from Nunka and Midyim, two hand raised joeys who made their way from formula to leaves and eventually back into the wild. Nunka, whose name means “heat” in Jandai, became the first hand raised koala released back on Country through the island based program.
Now they need some trees and the next challenge is surprisingly straightforward. Leaves, and lots of them.
On Sunday 13th September, the Minjerribah Wildlife Veterinary and Conservation Foundation and QYAC are inviting the community to Ganaba in Dunwich to plant more than 600 koala food trees. Blue gum and swamp mahogany will make up most of the planting, alongside other locally appropriate food species. Some have been propagated from seed collected on Minjerribah, and others have come from known favourite koala trees nearby on the mainland.
“They will take years to mature, so the event is also an act of faith in the future,” Jade says.
The MWVCF is still a small, volunteer driven organisation, supporting the care of all wildlife on Minjerribah, not just koalas. So this isn’t simply a tree planting day, it’s an opportunity for the island to get behind the people doing the work and to put something in the ground that will outlast all of us. Bring the kids, bring a mate, bring your neighbours, and bring shoes you don’t mind getting dirty.
Koala Food Tree Planting Day
Sunday 13th September II 2pm – 5pm
86 – 100 East Coast Road, Goompi (Dunwich)
No booking required
Saplings, gloves, planting equipment and other materials provided.
Bring a hat, water, sun protection and suitable outdoor footwear.
The goal is 600+ trees.
For more information email minjerribahwildlife@gmail.com
A collaboration between MWVCF and QYAC, supported by Sibelco, the Gourmet Gumleaves Project and QTFN’s Koala Habitat Restoration Partnership Program.
Sibelco have collected local seed and propagated trees on island to contribute to this initiative.
The Gourmet Gumleaves Project will be providing seedlings propagated from known favoured koala food trees.
The KHRPP is funded by the Queensland Government and implemented by QTFN, providing free koala preferred trees and materials to support community led koala habitat restoration across South East Queensland.
