The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) today announced the retirement of Dr. Dave Mitchell, Landscape Ecologist who will officially step down on 11 September 2025 after nearly three decades of extraordinary dedication to Koala conservation.
Dr. Mitchell has been central to AKF’s research, most notably through his work on the Koala Habitat Atlas (KHA), which maps Koala habitat across the Koalas’ entire geographic range. His recent PhD thesis validated the KHA methodology, reinforcing its importance as a critical tool in understanding and protecting wild Koala populations and should be a vital tool for a Koala Recovery Plan.
Deborah Tabart OAM, Chair of the Australian Koala Foundation, said Dave will leave an incredible legacy.
“Not only has he contributed to the mapping of habitat across the Koala’s entire geographic range using the Koala Habitat Atlas (KHA), but he has also validated the KHA methodology in his recent PhD Thesis. Ever the scientist, Dave has said, ‘What I love about the KHA is that you don’t have to be a scientist to understand it — even politicians can,’” said Ms Tabart.
According to Ms Tabart, Dr. Mitchell’s work on both the KHA and Koala population estimates has provided the most reliable data available today.
“I am going to take this opportunity when Dave retires (if anyone can really retire from Koalas) to say categorically that the Koala Habitat Atlas maps are what is needed for the recovery of the species, and our Koala numbers, which Dave has revised over 20 years, are as accurate as anyone can possibly determine,” said Ms Tabart.
“I am now going to put a line in the sand on the Koala Numbers for the time being and will take the view that if anyone does not believe our numbers are correct, they will need to provide good science to refute them, not just cursory media comments that diminish the work of Dr. Mitchell and his scientific colleagues.”
“With projections of extinctions of 2050 (long after our politicians have retired) and with the CSIRO project ending in 2032, I have taken the view that I am tired of having to prove we are right, now it is time for any critic to prove they are right and NOW.”
“Time is of the essence. What is encouraging is that I do think that the Koala community are starting to see that our political leaders are using cunning and deceptive announcements or inducements to make it look like Koala habitats are protected, but they are not. All we see are piecemeal efforts that do nothing to address the decline of Koala populations in other areas.”
Dr. Mitchell’s meticulous approach has included reviewing every published scientific paper on Koalas with a particular focus on carrying capacity and home ranges, ensuring AKF’s work remains grounded in both rigorous research and practical conservation outcomes.
“On behalf of our Board and supporters, I want to thank Dave for his incredible dedication,” said Ms Tabart. “His thirst for knowledge about Koalas and how they live in their habitats is a result of great enthusiasm and for reading just about every single paper published about Koalas. It has been a stellar career and Dave stands by this work. So do we. While critics continue to question AKF’s Koala numbers, we welcome anyone with solid science to get in touch – AKF will always accept good science and would love to see good reasons to increase our population estimates. It is now time for our Environment Minister, Minister Murray Watt, to focus on habitat protection; the reality is that habitats are being lost forever and protecting them requires stronger legal safeguards via a Koala Protection Act. That is our “Line in the Sand” right now.
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