Flora and fauna is returning to Ironbark Reserve in the Mangrove Mountain area after an absence, in some cases, of more than 50 years and Mangrove Mountain and Districts Community Group couldn’t be happier.
Group secretary Margaret Pontifex said native animals and plants including the native waratah were being spotted in the reserve after being absent for a number of seasons following contamination of the creek and natural disasters.
“In recent weeks, people have spotted powerful owls, large northern bandicoots, freshwater lobsters, wedge-tailed eagles and even platypus, which haven’t been seen around here for years,” Pontifex said.
“Over 40 years ago we saw our last platypus in Ironbark Gully following chemical contamination, but this year a platypus was filmed playing in the area for hours.
“There is also a native marsupial with long black hair which cohabits happily with the platypus and we have seen quite a few plant species return.
“The local waratah seed I collected and planted in Ironbark Reserve has bloomed.”
Pontifex said animals had fled the area, with clearing happening too close to the creek-line over a period of years.
“But in recent years, there has been no clearing within 22 feet of the creek and that clear margin has seen animals return and a lot of regeneration,” she said.
“State Forests has been wonderful in keeping the creek clear of activity and we have been working hard with National Parks in recent years to control wild dogs and foxes.
“Now there is a clear corridor through to nearby Popran National Park.”
Pontifex said she had seen lyrebirds in her backyard, which is close to the reserve, for the first time in years.
“And we’ve also seen bush turkeys and I’ve never seen them here before,” she said.
“The area is being managed the way it always should have been, and we are returning to the conditions of the 40s and 50s, when we lived quite happily with nature.”
Pontifex said she had been in contact with nature activist Jake Cassar, who had identified every tree that koalas need to survive in the area.
“The last koala we saw in the area was back in 1973, yet this year we have heard a koala bellowing,” she said.
“We have been talking about trying to get the area dedicated to wildlife and even the possibility of relocating some koalas here.”
Cassar said apart from the many different types of rare and threatened flora and fauna species in the area, it also contained all the right trees for koalas to subside upon.
“There are eucalypts such as Sydney Peppermint, Grey Gums, Bloodwoods, Scribbly gums and Ironbarks, which would make this a perfect area for koalas to be rehabilitated and released in,” he said.
Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch, has welcomed the news.
“After the full brunt of drought, followed by the catastrophic bushfires across NSW that licked at Mangrove Mountain and led to the deaths of billions of animals, including many of our natives, and now COVID-19 to top it all off this year has been unfortunately full of disappointment,” Tesch said.
“Despite all the heartaches this year has brought our wildlife are still roaming and our flowers are still blooming.”
Terry Collins