Northerners are being urged to help map the NSW koala population west of the Great Dividing Range to save them from localised extinction.
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The Western Woodlands Alliance (WWA) said its project was the first step towards creating a landscape-wide koala park.
The group is calling on people from the New England region to share their memories and records of koalas over the past 50 years.
WWA spokesman Noel Plumb said koalas and their woodland habitats were being lost rapidly due to intensive over-logging, coal mining, coal seam gas extraction, land clearing, and climate change with record drought.
Koala numbers in the Pilliga forest have fallen from about 10,000 to less than 100 in only 20 years, while numbers in the "Koala Capital" of Gunnedah are down significantly.
"Koalas are nearly extinct in the mighty Pilliga forest, after decades of intensive industrial logging and fire management that has put the interests of the logging industry before the wildlife, the woodlands and the safety of the broader community," Mr Plumb said.
WWA ecologist David Paull said there was a "real risk" koalas would become extinct west of the Great Dividing Range if urgent action was not taken.
"We want the areas of koala habitat that are mapped to form the basis of a wonderful new conservation reserve, the Western Woodlands Koala Park, that would be managed to preserve our last wild koala populations," Mr Paull said.
He said protecting koalas in a major new national park would also protect a whole web of life.
"Koalas are like the canaries in the coal mine when their population crashes, you know the whole ecosystem where they live is in deep trouble," he said.
"The Pilliga mouse, the pygmy possum, the barking owl, the black-striped wallaby and many other threatened species will also benefit.
"This is the time where big visions are needed."
Mr Paul said anyone with recollections and information about koalas in their region could get in touch with the group by emailing dunnarts64@yahoo.com, calling 0455 634 160 or searching for Western Woodlands Alliance on Facebook.