Earth Flix: The Koalas – New film release coming to the Empire Cinema

Published on 07 August 2024

Koala-in-tree.jpg

The Koalas film is on an epic tour across the East Coast of Australia, with a screening in Bowral on Wednesday 21 August at 6pm. Don’t miss this special free screening of the film as part of Council’s Earth Flix film series.

The Koalas is a must-see documentary showcasing the plight of the koala - an iconic species at risk of extinction by 2050. The film reveals the threats to Koalas and their habitat, including massive housing developments, Chlamydia disease and more. Despite ongoing preservation efforts, stronger conservation measures are needed to save the beloved koalas. The koalas film follows dedicated wildlife carers who are fighting to protect koala corridors from urban expansion, highlighting the challenges of government support for development despite protests and legal appeals that raise concerns about environmental regulations and sustainable growth. We also follow journeys of rescued koalas and see the challenges they face.

The Southern Highlands is home to an estimated 3-4,000 koalas. While that number might sound large to some, our local populations are faced with the same threats.

The Koalas film highlights

  • Habitat fragmentation
  • Climate change
  • and vehicle strike

These are all dangers we’re working to safeguard Southern Highlands Koalas against.

Following the screening of The Koalas, local experts dedicated to Koala conservation will be available to answer audience questions about local koala populations. You’ll meet Kerstin Schweth who is the founder of Native Wildlife Rescue and has spent the past 16 years rescuing and rehabilitating local wildlife including koalas, Casey Taylor who is an Environment Officer from Wingecarribee Shire Council working on the Southern Highlands Koala Conservation Project and private land conservation, and Margot Law who is a Senior Project Officer from the NSW Government working on-ground conservation actions for koalas in the Southern Highlands.

The Southern Highlands Koala Conservation Project has been around since 2014 helping to conserve koalas. Years of data collection have led to a strong understanding of our east and west stronghold populations, and funding from the NSW Koala Strategy has supported more recent on-ground conservation actions including private land conservation, koala habitat restoration, acoustic monitoring, vehicle strike minimisation initiatives, community engagement and more.

Make sure you sign up to get your ticket before we book out, click here to book.

You can learn more about the project at the following links:

Get Inspired, Take Action, Make a Change!