How Member Jungle Steps Lightly On The Planet: Animal Adoptions

Member Jungle’s driving goal is to make membership management easy and enable club and association administrators to enjoy running their organisations. However, there is another, no less important goal: to step lightly on the planet. To help clubs and associations but never at the cost of the earth and environment. 

This manifests in various ways: Member Jungle’s head office is run entirely from solar panels on the roof, 100% green web hosting, sponsoring community initiatives and groups, a company blood donation team and more. However, that’s not what we are talking about today. 

Today, we will discuss all the endangered native animals Member Jungle sponsors. I am not writing this as a self congratulatory pat on the back; this isn’t about us. It is about the animals and the fantastic organisations working tirelessly to save them. 

I know this isn’t the usual content you’d come to us for, but I promise it will be worth your time. So, let’s talk about the animals we sponsor, the fantastic organisations that enable that and how you can get involved and make a difference. If you learn one thing today, let it be some of the ways you can help support our extraordinary wildlife. 

The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital is a not-for-profit volunteer-run organisation that rescues and rehabilitates Koalas and preserves koala’s natural habitat. As with all volunteer-run organisations, the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital relies heavily on donations to continue to carry out their much-needed work. 

You can donate and help the hospital and the beautiful koalas they are rescuing in several ways. 

• Donations - Make a one-off donation to the cause of your choice for the amount of your choice. These can range from funding a Koala Food Tree for $25, supporting their Koala Breeding Program, to making a simple donation.  
   
• Adopt a Koala - Pay a one-off donation to help rehabilitate a particular Koala in need. If the Koala is successfully rehabilitated, money from the adoption goes to help other Koalas in need. While this is a one-off donation, the Hospital will contact you annually asking if you would like to renew your adoption. Doing so will make a massive difference in the lives of a lot of Koalas for years to come. You will also receive a personalised certificate as thanks for your adoption. These can make really meaningful Christmas presents for your loved ones. 
   
• Volunteer - If you are local to the Port Macquarie area or are planning to visit, you can apply to volunteer at the Hospital and make a difference with your own two hands.
   
• Visit - Speaking of being in the area, if you find yourself in the Port Macquarie region, you should absolutely visit the Koala Hospital. They offer self-guided and guided tours around the hospital, where you can see all the rescued koalas for yourself. I haven’t been since I was a kid living just South of Port, but if it is anything like I remember, it is well worth the visit. Especially once you consider how much good your patronage will do for the koalas.  

 

Member Jungle has adopted four koalas from the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, LINR Anwen and Lion Leo. Tragically, two of the koalas that we adopted have since passed away; you can see the remaining two below.  

 

 

LINR Anwen was rescued after she received burns during a bushfire at Lake Innes Nature Reserve. She has since recovered and been returned to the wild. The ongoing money from our adoption now goes to helping other Koalas at the hospital.   

 

Lion Leo was rescued from a backyard after dogs attacked him. He was brought to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, where he was luckily found to have only minor injuries. He could be returned to the wild after only a short stay at the hospital. The ongoing money from our adoption now goes to helping other Koalas at the hospital.   

Report A Koala Sighting 

If you are in the Port Macquarie region and you happen to see a koala somewhere where it doesn’t belong or appears to be in any distress, you can report it to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. 

 

For more information on when to report and how to do so, please see this page, Koala Sightings.

The Port Stephens Koala Hospital

The Port Stephens Koala Hospital is a not-for-profit volunteer-run organisation that rescues and rehabilitates Koalas in the Port Stephans and Hunter Valley areas. They can carry out their essential work thanks to the kindness of volunteers and donations from the public. 

You can donate and help them and the beautiful koalas they are rescuing in several ways. 

 

• Donations - You can make a one-time or recurring donation of any amount you would like to help the hospital continue its vital work. 
   
• Adoptions - You can adopt koalas, wombats, possums and kangaroos by paying $50 as a once-off or yearly payment. These adoption fees will go to the rehabilitation and care of the animal you adopt and the other animals in the hospital. You will also receive a custom certificate of adoption. Again, this can make a lovely and meaningful Christmas present.  
   
• Volunteer - If you are local to Port Stephens or the surrounding region, you can apply to volunteer at the Hospital and make a difference yourself. 
   
• Visit - The Hospital also runs the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, where you can visit, see koalas, participate in koala encounters and even stay overnight. It’s a great way to get in touch with nature and put your hard-earned dollars to a good cause.
   
• Shop - The Port Stephens Koala Hospital has a gift shop where you can buy a range of merchandise in person or online. They have books, hats, wine, lunchboxes and a lot more. While looking through their website for details for this article, I actually bought two of their 2024 koala calendars. One for myself and one for a Christmas present. They have a lot of great stuff available, and it all goes to helping the hospital continue its excellent work. 

 

Member Jungle has adopted three Port Stephens Koala Hospital koalas: Solstice, Basil, and Jackie Chan. 

 

 

Solstice was hit by a car while crossing a road and sadly had her left elbow, cheekbone, and jaw fractured in the accident. Solstice has received extensive treatment for her injuries and is able to live a very happy life, though she still has to wear a brace to help support her healing arm.  

 

Basil was brought into the hospital after being rescued from a busy road. He unfortunately has permanent nerve damage in one leg and is unlikely to leave the sanctuary. He has learned to climb with three legs and lives happily in his new home.   

 

 

Jackie Chan was rescued by a woman named Jackie and did his best to try and go full kung fu panda on the vets every time he was examined, hence the name. He has since been released back into the wild. The ongoing money from our adoption now goes to helping other Koalas at the hospital.  

Report A Koala Sighting 

If you are in the Port Stephans or Hunter region and you happen to see a koala somewhere where it doesn’t belong or appears to be in any distress, you can report it to the Port Stephans Koala Hospital. 

For more information on when to report and how to do so, please see these pages: Koala Rescue and Port Stephens Koala Hospital - Sightings.  

Aussie Ark

Aussie Ark is a non-profit organisation that focuses on breeding and conserving endangered Australian animals. Previously, they were known as Devil's Ark, and their primary objective was to bring Tasmanian devils back from the verge of extinction. Thanks to their success with devils, they have expanded their scope. They are helping a wide range of critically endangered native Australian animals. They have rebranded themselves as Aussie Ark to reflect their broadened focus. The organisation's primary goal is to breed and release endangered species back into their natural habitats to help increase the wild population of endangered species.

Aussie Ark holds a special place in the hearts of everyone at Member Jungle. They are located close to us and excel in developing breeding programs and facilities for endangered or near-extinction native species in Eastern New South Wales. Their work is truly remarkable and inspiring.

Donations and volunteers make Aussie Ark’s work possible, like the other groups we've discussed. 
 

You can donate and help them with their vital work in several ways. 

• Donations - You can make a one-time or recurring donation of any amount you would like to help Aussie Ark continue its vital work. 
   
• Adoptions - Through Aussie Ark, you can adopt a range of native animals, including Tasmanian Devils, Eastern Quolls, Koalas and Brush-Tailed Rock Wallabies. Adoptions can be done as one-off payments or ongoing subscriptions, depending on how much you want to donate. In return, you will receive a cuddly plush toy, an Aussie Ark support sticker, a thank you letter, an adoption certificate, an information sheet on your chosen species, and a photo of your selected species.
  This can make it a wonderful Christmas or birthday present for someone in your life.  
   
• Visit - Aussie Ark is based out in Tomalla near the Barrington tops. They offer a wide range of things to see and do for those who make the trip up to the mountains. They also offer some on-site accommodation for those looking to stay in the action.
   
• Shop - Aussie Ark has a gift shop where you can buy a range of merchandise either in person or online. They sell clothes, books, drink bottles, plush toys and more. Buying from their store will help support them and their work. 

 

Member Jungle has adopted three animals from the Aussie Ark. 

 

 

Dean was the very first animal that Member Jungle adopted, and he is still a part of Aussie Ark's breeding program to this day. 
 

 

Myrtle the Turtle was part of Aussie Ark’s Manning River Turtle breeding program. Some of the Manning River Turtles from Aussie Ark were released earlier this year, and we aren't sure if Myrtle was part of them. 

You can watch the release of the Manning River Turtles here, on Aussie Ark’s YouTube page. 

A little turtle fun fact for you: The Manning River Turtle can breathe through its bum. 

 

 

Loki is one of the baby quolls that were born due to Aussie Ark’s breeding program. He and his family of Eastern Quolls have been released into the Aussie Ark 400Ha wild sanctuary. He is a part of the first re-introduction of Eastern Quolls to the Australian mainland since they were declared extinct on the mainland in 1963.

The WWF 

The WWF needs no introduction. They are such a large organisation that the wrestling company changed its name. They are an international not-for-profit organisation that helps protect endangered and threatened species and habitats worldwide. 

They offer various ways to help support their work via direct donations or animal adoptions. The WWF is too large of an organisation for me to dive into everything they do, but needless to say, they are doing some fantastic work and should absolutely be on your list of organisations to support. 

Member Jungle has adopted a platypus that we named Agent P through the WWF. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, this is not an actual photo of Agent P. Due to the size of the WWfF’s adoption program, I could not track down a real photo of him. Though, I will pretend there was no photo of him because he is a top-secret spy, like his name’s sake. 

 

 

 

How You Can Do Your Bit To Protect These Beautiful Creatures

Between all the cute animals, the injured animals, and the selfless people giving so much of their time to help them, it’s been a real rollercoaster for me, and I have cried several times while writing this article. I know that clubs’ budgets can be pretty tight at times, and giving to charity as a non-profit can be a real challenge. 

However, after taking a deep dive into this topic throughout writing this article, I promise you that it is worth it and very needed. If just one koala, quoll or any other animal receives a bit more help because of it, then the emotional rollercoaster will be worth it. So please give what you can if you can. Rest assured that Member Jungle will continue to do everything it can to protect these animals and step lightly on the planet. 

For anything else membership management-related, stay with Member Jungle. 

 

Personally, I’m going to sort out adopting a Long-Nosed Potoroo through Aussie Ark because just look at this thing.