VCE OES

Lilly Pilly Gully Walk / Windfarms  and Wetlands

Our VCE Outdoor Environmental Studies students visited Lilly Pilly Gully to learn more about biodiversity and sustainability at Wiilson’s Promontory and look at potential treats and healthy environments. We went full of anticipation, hoping to sight a rare Bristlebird. Bristlebirds (Dasyornis brachypterus), were the first species introduced to Wilson’s Prom since plans for the Prom to be transformed into a climate refuge and predator-free sanctuary for endangered wildlife. 

We also hoped to see Tooarrana, a tiny native rodent known for its chubby cheeks. The Tooarrana, vulnerable to extinction, has just been sighted at the Prom for the first time in three decades. The tiny rat has been vulnerable to predation by cats and foxes, habitat loss from an overabundance of grass-grazing animals, bushfires and climate change. The discovery suggests efforts to keep invasive species out of the area are working.

We also visited the Bald Hills Wind Farms and wetlands to gain perspective of windfarms in rural areas and proposed windfarms off Wilson’s Promontory and the southern coastline.