Love of cuddly icon saluted

Peter Clarke, with the help of Constable, has been voted Volunteer of the Year at the Lismore Volunteer Expo.

CATHY ADAMS

RESCUING a koala trapped up a tree by dogs is just another outing for Friends of the Koala volunteer Peter Clarke.

“A koala has been chased up a pine tree in a greyhound run the other side of Casino,” he said.

“We get calls like this all the time at Friends of the Koala.

“I'll need to hit the road within the next half-an-hour to get the koala out before it gets dark.”

Mr Clarke has been a volunteer at Friends of the Koala for six years.

In that time he has been on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

So it was no surprise when he was the recipient of a Certificate of Appreciation from Kevin Rudd, Jenny Macklin, Senator Ursula Stephens and Janelle Saffin at this year's Lismore Volunteer Expo.

“It's been nice to receive the certificate and to have the work of Friends of the Koala recognised,” he said.

“I love all animals, but I particularly love koalas. They are one of the most overlooked animals in the world. We don't do enough for them.

“When people come to Australia, it doesn't matter who it is, kings, queens or the Pope, they want to have a cuddle with a koala.”

Friends of the Koala president Lorraine Vass said when Mr Clarke isn't rescuing koalas from the clutches of dogs, he is driving them hundreds of kilometres to the Australian Wildlife Hospital at Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast for treatment, or releasing them back into the wild after treatment.

“Peter is one of those guys who is always there when we need him the most,” she said.

And Mr Clarke's volunteering doesn't stop with saving the koala.

The semi-retired gardener has just applied to be a driver for cancer patients.

“I've volunteered to drive cancer patients from nominated parking areas in Lismore to the Cancer Care Unit at Lismore Base Hospital,” he said.

“There are not enough parking spaces near the hospital so it helps to make their visits less stressful.”

Mr Clarke was one of many volunteers from across the Northern Rivers recognised this year at the Lismore Volunteer Expo, run in conjunction with National Volunteer Week in May.