Last night, a large group of excited adults and children visited Karakamia Wildlife Sanctuary. Karakamia is run by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and covers over 200ha of beautiful bushland with jarrah and marri trees, with rolling hills and small creeklines.
The first place we visited was the information centre, a rustic log house, where we met our guides, and split into two smaller groups.
Our guides took us carefully through the bush just after sundown. We learned about the various nocturnal mammals that live in the forest, such as the woylie (a.k.a. Brush-tailed Bettong), quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot) and Tammar wallabies. We saw all of these animals during our walk, as they foraged in the undergrowth for their food, safe from harm. Karakamia Sanctuary is surrounded by a "predator-proof" fence, which keeps out feral animals like foxes, cats and dogs.
There were so many things to look at; golden orb spiders, leaf-curl spiders, trees that are hundreds of years old, and places where animals had dug for food. We saw a trapline put in by visiting biologists to study small animals. Our guides showed us places where some of the animals live, such as goanna burrows, and possum hollows in wandoo trees. We learned a little bit about the jarrah forest web of life.
After two hours of walking, looking and listening, we headed back to the log house for well-deserved cups of tea and snacks. What an exciting adventure!
Ellenbrook Bushland Group, in association with City of Swan, is planning more adventures like this one for local residents. Keep an eye on the Upcoming Events listing above.
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