CLAIRE Smith has been mobilising aid and fundraising for wildlife passionately for years, and that advocacy has landed her the ‘wildlife hero’ the title of ‘2025 Citizen of the Year’ at the Sunshine Coast Biosphere Community Awards.
Claire was one of 140 nominees recognised at the 2025 Sunshine Coast Biosphere Community Awards, held at Maroochy RSL on June 20.
The awards celebrate individuals and organisations who embody the values of the UNESCO-designated Sunshine Coast Biosphere – celebration, participation, innovation and belonging, and nominees were recognised across eight categories for their contributions to the health of our planet, our people, the arts and business.
When the 2019 bushfires ravaged Australia’s landscapes, Claire Smith didn’t just watch from the sidelines – she acted and raised over $600,000 to support more than 50 wildlife rescue groups.
Claire is also the founder of Wildlife Rescue Sunshine Coast, and she established Queensland’s first dedicated kangaroo hospital and is currently leading a $5 million fundraising campaign to build a Koala Conservation Centre.
“We can’t just keep putting band-aids on wildlife,” Claire said.
“We need to protect the places they call home.”
Claire’s impact is felt across the Sunshine Coast and beyond, and she is using her growing platform to push even further and raise awareness and educate via public engagement.
Claire is currently embarking on a speaking tour and delivering her celebrated talk, ‘The Truth About Our Vanishing Koalas’, at venues across southeast Queensland.
The free event draws on Claire’s years of frontline experience in koala rescue.
“This isn’t just another wildlife talk, it’s a matter of life and death,” Claire said.
“Koalas have been here for 25 million years, and in just the last 200, we’ve brought them to the edge of extinction, and we can’t let them become a memory.”
The event will feature a compelling presentation exposing the drivers of habitat destruction, the failings of environmental protections, and the devastating impact on koalas and their ecosystems. Claire also shares practical, community-led solutions, such as her own project ‘Barefoot on the Ground’, a 402-acre koala refuge and education centre currently in development.
“This tour is about truth-telling, and it is also about hope.
“We have solutions—real, local, and immediate. What we need now is the will to act.”
EVENT DETAILS
Tewantin CWA Hall – 5th July, 10:30 AM
Cooroy RSL – 7th August, 10:30 AM
Holland Park Library – 2nd August, 12:30 PM
Toogoolawah Pictures – Alexandra Hall – 12th July, 12:30 PM
(More locations and dates to be announced)