The rise of social media has created a powerful platform for the Australian Koala Foundation to share its mission to the world, giving the Koala a real voice in the fight for its survival. Over 26, 609 Facebook supporters have joined in support for the foundation in recent months, with the number increasing daily. This ever growing network of like-minded conservationists, mums and dads, students, and business people is a wonderful sign that support for the future of the Australian Koala is greater than ever.
In October, we asked our Facebook supporters what they had been doing to help save the Koala – and we were overwhelmed with inspiring responses! One girl asked her friends to donate to the AKF instead of buying gifts for her 12th Birthday. Koala carers responded with stories of their experiences looking after injured and sick animals. Volunteers revealed their obsessions with Koalas and how much time they have devoted to the cause every day. Others shared how they had individually been spreading the word and increasing community awareness through social media and self-promotion. We even received a poem expressing one family’s love for the Koalas!
What also became clear was the huge amount of international Facebook supporters who were getting behind the Australian Koala by dedicating time and money – some without ever having seen a Koala in real life. A stand out response came from a gentleman in the Philippines who is a self-proclaimed Koala advocate dedicating hours online to support international Koala groups and raise awareness.
James Valdez Acedillo said, ‘Koalas are loved and respected around the world, and I just want to prove that we don’t have to see a Koala personally to save them. What really counts is doing the best that we can to help. Koalas deserve every ounce of love and help that we can provide.’
The Australian Koala Foundation would like to reward James by naming him our Facebook ambassador of the month! His words truly inspired great feedback online with many other people liking his post and thanking him. It is wonderful to see what an impact social media can have when put to good use.
We invite you to ‘like’ our Facebook page and share it with your friends to keep up to date with the latest AKF news – and enjoy a cute Koala picture at the same time. Visit www.facebook.com/SavetheAustralianKoala to join the conversation.