On Friday 3rd Oct, landowner Carolyn Larcombe generously gave Field Naturalists a guided tour of the Wandiyali-Environa Wildlife Sanctuary. She took a large group of us for a 3-hour walk through many different habitats on her wonderful property.
The property, in the Googong area near Canberra, has been in the Larcombe family for three generations. Now, 300 ha of the southern section has become a private reserve, which includes two Biodiversity Stewardship sites and a Conservation Agreement site registered on the property’s title. The process has also involved the setting up of the Wandiyali Restoration Trust to manage the critically endangered ecological communities, the building of a 10 km fence to exclude feral cats and foxes as part of a safe haven project with funding from the Federal Government’s Environmental Restoration Fund, and since December 2024, a collaborative partnership between the the Larcombe family and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. Under the 10-year agreement, AWC will help shape conservation plans for the sanctuary, including a strategy for restoring locally extinct species. Small mammals including bandicoots, antechinus, bettongs, quolls, and several species of native rodents, as well as threatened frogs, will be among the species to be assessed as candidates for reintroduction. The project will also support important research into the factors that contribute to successful species reintroductions.
Wandiyali consists of open woodland and grassland communities, including a significant patch of critically endangered Box Gum Grassy Woodlands, and importantly provides both east west and north south connectivity across the landscape, linking a corridor between Canberra and the coast and protecting an upper stretch of Jerrabomberra Creek. Significant conservation work has already been undertaken to help native vegetation recover and increase biodiversity, improving ecological function and habitat value, for example, ground-story for small mammals and mid-story for small birds.
The sanctuary protects habitat for threatened birds like the Swift Parrot, Gang-Gang, and Speckled Warbler, threatened reptile, the Pink-tailed Worm Lizard, and threatened plants including the Small Purple-pea. Wombats and Echidnas are common, and a diverse range of bush birds are found, including Wedge-tailed Eagles, Brown Falcons, Brown Quail, Crimson Rosellas, Red-rumped Parrots, Grey Fantails, and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes and Scarlet Robins.
Carolyn explains life on the property before it became a sanctuary: “My grandfather bought land in 1924, in New South Wales, just over the border from the newly formed Australian Capital Territory. This was named Environa, and we moved here as a family in the 1960s, running fine wool merino sheep initially, and then transitioning to Hereford beef cattle as nearby development rapidly precluded grazing sheep. My brothers and I grew up here, roaming the surrounds and developing a deep connection with the rolling hills of the land and serpentine bends of Jerrabomberra Creek. My husband, sons and I moved to Wandiyali, on the eastern side of Jerrabomberra Creek in 1999, and I quickly gained new knowledge of local plants and ecosystems, which highlighted the conservation values of this area, and ignited my journey of conservation and restoration.“
We began our walk by entering through a gate in the impressive feral-proof fence, where we were also shown a smaller gate, especially designed to allow movement of wombats through the fence while preventing the entry of foxes and cats.
After a stunning presentation by Carolyn at the FNAC meeting the previous night, we had great expectations of the sanctuary, and we weren’t disappointed. Much of the overstorey had not been cleared, and included some very old large trees, but it was the understorey that really took our breath away. The post-grazing recovery was remarkable, and being Spring, we were treated to an amazing wildflower display.
It was explained how management practices were keeping the hill slopes mulched and moist, assisting plant health and soil conservation. It was also explained how the previous management practice of keeping the farm tidy, had removed most of the fallen timber, thus limiting this important habitat component. However, during the building of the nearby suburb of Googong, many trees were felled, presenting an opportunity, so many truckloads of these logs were brought to the sanctuary.
We were also told about planning to re-introduce small ground mammals, but these plans are on hold until the last fox inside the fence, apparently a wily individual, is removed.
As well as marvelling at the plant diversity and health, we were treated to 29 bird species. See Sandra Henderson’s list below. Thanks Sandra! Thanks also to Miranda Gardner, who shared some superb photos of our discoveries, which can be seen above the bird list.
At the conclusion of our walk we enjoyed sharing plates of cakes and savories under a tree, and also passed around the hat, so we could make some contribution to the viability of the sanctuary.
Many thanks Carolyn for an unforgettable morning, and thank you so much for your very worthwhile efforts to conserve these important ecosystems. Best wishes for future success!
– John Stein
Bird List:
Australasian Grebe: 2
Australian Raven: 5
Black-faced Cuckooshrike: 4
Brown-headed Honeyeater: 2
Buff-rumped Thornbill: 2
Common Starling: 50
Crimson Rosella: 2
Eastern Rosella: 2
Eastern Spinebill: 1
Eurasian Coot: 1
Galah: 3
Grey Butcherbird: 1
Grey Fantail: 7
Grey Teal: 2
Masked Lapwing: 1
Nankeen Kestrel: 2
Noisy Miner: 2
Pacific Black Duck:1
Red Wattlebird: 2
Rufous Whistler: 1
Striated Pardalote: 5
Wedge-tailed Eagle: 2
Weebill: 8
Welcome Swallow: 2
White-naped Honeyeater: 3
White-throated Gerygone: 1
Willie Wagtail: 1
Yellow-faced Honeyeater: 6
Yellow-rumped Thornbill: 2