Former Citizen cadet Ashleigh Wyss’ reporting on the koalas of French Island is set to be published in The Best Australian Science Writing 2026.

Wyss’ story, “‘Eating themselves out of house and home’: French Island koalas facing famine“, shines light on the dire situation confronting the island’s eucalypt-chomping inhabitants.

The upcoming anthology. Image: NewSouth.

It will be published by NewSouth this September as part of the annual anthology, edited by award-winning science writer and author Fiona McMillan-Webster.

In a statement late last year, McMillan-Webster said good science writing “offers not just a reprieve, but a lifeline”.

“It invites us to step a little closer to the unknown and broaden both our understanding and our connections,” she stated.

“Indeed, something marvellous happens when great storytelling ignites our sense of wonder. We get to see the world and even ourselves in a new light. We are shown a way to navigate uncertainty with curiosity and hope, instead of fear and ignorance.”

Read all of Wyss’ reporting for The Citizen here.