A timely reflection on a very significant local forest – home to precious and threatened species – and an increasingly valuable habitat as climate heats up and land clearing and deforestation slice and dice habitat around Eurobodalla shire.
Photographer & citizen scientist Gee Hounsell guides us through Bengello Forest’s rich ecosystem.
Our local creatures and flora need their homes and Country.
They need our skilful care and safe-guarding.
A walk through Beautiful Bengello Forest, Broulee
on Walbanga Country
part of the Greater Yuin Nation
Bengello Forest
by Gee Hounsell
Bengello Forest is one of my favourite places in Broulee. It is classified as Bangalay sand forest of the Sydney Basin and South East Corner, and is an endangered ecological community.
The forest is zoned E2, which applies to areas that contain high ecological, scientific, cultural or aesthetic values. The zoning protects the area from any sort of development that could destroy or damage those values.
The section of Bangalay sand forest between the Broulee fire shed and the Moruya airport was created as an ‘offset’ as part of the Biodiversity Certification Strategy in 2014, which enabled other areas of Bangalay Sand Forest in Broulee to be cleared for residential development. This area is protected and managed for its conservation value by Eurobodalla Shire Council and with the assistance of the local Landcare group.
It is the habitat of two of Broulee’s and Mossy’s endangered iconic, bird species, the Gang-gangs and Glossy Black Cockatoos.
A female Glossy- black cockatoo feeding on the seeds found within sheoak cones.
Photography – Gee Hounsell
Gang-gangs – Photography Gee Hounsell
There are many breeding hollows in the larger, more mature trees, most of which would have taken well over 100 years to form.
The Black She-oaks, Eucalypts and wide variety of native plants provide abundant feed for these and many other species of bird and animals.
Other threatened species such as Greater Gliders, have been observed in this area.
White-browed Scrub wren
Lewin’s Honeyeater
Red-browed Finch
White-throated Treecreeper
Eastern Yellow Robin
Let these sound recordings from Bengello Forest caress your ears as they connect you to the healing power of quiet, watchful presence in nature, here on Yuin Country.
The forest is populated by Bangalay (Eucalyptus botryoides) Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia), Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) and Lilly Pilly (Acmena smithii), Old Man Banksia (Banksia serrata) and Black She-oak (allocasuarina littoralis), the preferred food of the Glossies.
Growing beneath the canopy you will find Coast Teatree (Leptospermum laevigatum), Flax-lilies (Dianella spp.), Lepidosperma concavum, Spiny-headed Mat-rush (Lomandra longifolia), Bracken (Pteridium esculentum), and grasses including Blady Grass (Imperata cylindrica), Weeping Grass (Microlaena stipoides var. stipoides) and Kangaroo Grass. Many other species such as Running Postman (Kennedia rubicunda), Common Milk Vine (Marsdenia rostrata) and Snake Vine (Stephania japonica var. discolor) scramble through the groundcover.
For more information –
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/profile.aspx?id=20035
Bengello Creek Credit: DPE
And a fascinating article, written seventeen years ago, about the newly discovered Bengello Creek which flows through the Bengello Forest :
https://www.smh.com.au/national/new-species-helps-bridge-the-scientific-gap-20050823-gdlxfr.html