Wildlife warrior and conservationist shows no signs of slowing down

The 76-year-old wildlife rescuer and conservationist has not only dedicated her life to caring for injured critters, she's even turned her home into something of a sanctuary to nurse them back to health.

"I will continue to do it, as long as my body and my mindset allows me, I can't see me stopping anytime shortly," she said.

"While-ever I can I certainly will because it's a passion, it's something very close to my heart.

"I've got a lot more work to do yet."

The Hunter Wildlife Rescue president and chair of the NSW Wildlife Council for more than a decade has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in this year's King's Birthday Honours.

Growing up in a farming family with a father who was a strong environmentalist, Ms Koosmen's love of animals was fostered at a young age.

As a teenager, she went on to join organisations like Greenpeace and the RSPCA where she became particularly passionate about the environment.

Years later she is still fighting habitat loss and using her role with the NSW Wildlife Council to represent thousands of rescue volunteers across the state.

For Ms Koosmen, caring for sick and injured animals is an honour and privilege.

"I do more intensive care now, because my age has come against me and I can't go out doing rescues as much," she said.

"So to rear a little tiny pinky possum from 60 grams, get her right through, soft release her and then find out a year later she's got a baby on her back is really so rewarding," she said.

"I think the rewarding part of it keeps you going."

The list of animals Ms Koosmen has cared for is extensive, including cuddly creatures like koalas, yellow-belly gliders, right up to the mighty albatross.

"I think, 'My, how many people have handled an albatross, this is magnificent'," Ms Koosmen said.

"It's a real privilege to give them a second chance, they have no chance if we weren't here to recover.

"It's a real honour."

In the 1994 bushfires that ravaged Newcastle and Port Stephens, Ms Koosmen and her team rescued more than 50 koalas that had been badly burned.

The team secured funding to put radio collars on them for two to three years and saw all of the females breed and have a "youngster".

"I see it as conservation too, we're putting something back out there," she said.

"We are not just a bunch of old ladies sitting at home cuddling a furry possum, what we're doing is conservation, and conservation is really important to me."

The Hunter Wildlife Rescue group deals with all animals except marine mammals in home-based care.

Ms Koosmen is part of a training team that teaches new members how to appropriately care for the Hunter's animals.

Sometimes Ms Koosmen might have to wake up every three hours to provide feeds, recently she had a koala in care and had to get up every hour to give him fluids.

"My husband has always been supportive of it," she said.

"I couldn't do it without him."

Ms Koosmen said she was shocked and thrilled to have been awarded an OAM.

"I was a bit gobsmacked actually, I actually emailed them and said, 'Was this email meant for me?'," she said.

"It's just an honour and I feel privileged to be able to get it, there's a lot of other people out there that I see that are worthy of it as well as me.

"I think it will help see the wildlife sector get its face out there, with some ol' sheila like me out there getting it."

Ms Koosmen said she was thankful to the person or people who had nominated her for the honour.