This children’s article, Australia gives the green light to the Great Koala National Park, has been written for native English speakers and learners of English as a second or foreign language. It can help children build vocabulary, learn about animals, and discover how people are protecting nature. Written by Mark Pulley, a teacher and writer who creates fun and informative news articles for English learners.
A giant new home for koalas
Big news from Australia: the government has announced a brand-new national park just for koalas! It’s called the Great Koala National Park, and it will cover an area of 476,000 hectares. That’s nearly as big as Grand Canyon National Park in the United States!
The park will connect many smaller national parks and forests in New South Wales to create a giant sanctuary. Experts say this could protect over 12,000 koalas, as well as many other animals and plants that share their forest homes.
Why do koalas need help?
Koalas may look cuddly and lazy (they can sleep for 22 hours a day!), but life has been tough for them. Their numbers have been shrinking for many years now for a variety of reasons. Bushfires, heatwaves, disease, and especially because their forest homes keep getting cut down by humans.
In New South Wales, koalas are listed as endangered, which means they’re at risk of disappearing forever. Some scientists predict that without immediate action, wild koalas could become extinct by 2050.
What will the park do?
One big change is that logging (chopping down trees for wood) will be banned inside the park’s boundaries. That means koalas will keep their eucalyptus trees, which they use for food and shelter.
The government is also giving money to workers who will lose jobs from the ban and is asking Aboriginal communities how they can be part of the park’s future. Conservation groups are calling the park “historic” and “a huge win for koalas.”
The road ahead
Of course, the new park doesn’t solve everything. Koalas will still face challenges like climate change, hotter summers, and fires. But this park is a massive step in the right direction. It gives koalas more space to live, eat, and hopefully thrive for generations to come.
And who knows? If the park succeeds, it might inspire more governments around the world to create wildlife parks in their own countries.
Article vocabulary list
- Habitat – The natural home or environment where an animal lives
- Endangered – At serious risk of disappearing forever
- Logging – Cutting down trees for wood
- Sanctuary – A safe place where animals are protected
- Conservation – Protecting nature and wildlife for the future
- Extinction – When a species no longer exists
- Eucalyptus – A type of tree with leaves that koalas love to eat
- Bushfires – Large wildfires that spread quickly through forests and grasslands
Comprehension questions
Just click the plus (+) to see the answer
1. How big will the Great Koala National Park be?
A) The size of London
B) 476,000 hectares
C) Half the size of New South Wales
Answer: B) 476,000 hectares
2. Why are koalas listed as endangered in New South Wales?
A) They don’t like eating eucalyptus anymore
B) Because they sleep too much
C) Habitat loss, bushfires, disease, and climate change
Answer: C) Habitat loss, bushfires, disease, and climate change
3. What will be banned in the new park to help koalas?
A) Building theme parks
B) Logging (cutting down trees)
C) Tourism
Answer: B) Logging (cutting down trees)
4. How many koalas could be protected by the new park?
A) 12,000
B) 1,200
C) 120
Answer: A) 12,000
5. When do scientists warn that koalas could disappear by if no action is taken?
A) 2100
B) 2050
C) 2030
Answer: B) 2050
Mark is a writer and EFL teacher from England with eight years’ experience. He’s passionate about travel, sport (especially football), animals, nature, and history, and enjoys helping children explore the world through language and learning.
