Canberra Nature Park

Canberra is well known as the Bush Capital and Canberra Nature Park is what gives us this name.

• What is Canberra Nature Park?
• Great Views and Walks
• Sights and Sounds from Canberra Nature Park
• Managing Canberra Nature Park
• Urban Wildlife
• Bushfires
• Contact Information
  
  
  
  
  

What is Canberra Nature Park?

Canberra Nature Park is 30 separate areas ranging from bushland hills to some of the best examples of lowland native grassland (  PDF 1.2Mb) in south-east Australia.

The Canberra Nature Park reserves contain some of the best examples of Yellow Box-Red Gum Grassy Woodland left in Australia. This type of woodland is an endangered ecological community. It is home to a number of rare or threatened species such as the Hooded Robin, Striped Legless Lizard and the Button Wrinklewort.

Great Views and Walks

Most Canberrans can walk to one of the Canberra Nature Parks to enjoy the wildflowers, the birds and the spectacular views. You can explore the quiet grassland reserves and climb the rugged hills. There are great walks to the summits of:

• Mt Majura;
• Mt Ainslie;
• Black Mountain;
• Red Hill;
• Mt Painter;
• The Pinnacle;
• Mt Taylor;
• Burnt Stump & Old Joe in Goorooyaroo Nature Reserve;
• Wanniassa Hills;
• McQuoids Hill;
• Urambi Hills;
• Cooleman Ridge; and
• Tuggeranong Hill.

Drive to the summit of ridges and peaks, which form the backdrop for Canberra, to see an eagle-eye view of the ACT region. These ridges and peaks include:

• Red Hill;
• Black Mountain;
• Mt Ainslie; and
• Mt Pleasant.

Sights and Sounds from Canberra Nature Park

Below are some of the wildflowers found in the parks:

• Chocolate Lilies at Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve ( JPEG127Kb)
• Common Fringe-Lily at Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve ( JPEG 107Kb)
• Purple Donkey Orchids at Mt Ainslie Nature Reserve ( JPEG 199Kb)
• Creamy Candles at Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve ( JPEG 191Kb)
• Native Buttercups at Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve ( JPEG 163Kb)
• Scrambled Eggs at Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve ( JPEG 285Kb)
• Donkey Orchid at Gossan Hill Nature Reserve ( JPEG 87Kb)

Click on the link below to hear sounds from a dam at Goorooyaroo Nature Reserve:

• Spotted Grass Frog, Rufous Whistler and Grey Fantail (  WAV 427Kb)

Why not visit our newest park—Goorooyaroo Nature Reserve? Below are some things to see whilst you're out there:

• Yellow Box-Red Gum Grassy Woodlands ( JPEG 57Kb)
• Bursaria in flower ( JPEG 359Kb)
• Scribbly Gum and Brushtail Speargrass ( JPEG 241Kb)
• Shingleback lizard ( JPEG 204Kb)

Look what you may catch a glimpse of at Black Mountain Nature Reserve.

• Paper Daisy and Australian Painted Lady Butterfly ( JPEG 49Kb)
• Narrow-leaf Bitter-pea ( JPEG 162Kb)

Managing Canberra Nature Park

Weeds such as Serrated Tussock and Chilean Needlegrass, and feral animals such as rabbits and foxes are a major threat to Canberra Nature Park. These threats are abated by Parks, Conservation and Lands staff. Parks, Conservation and Lands is the unit of Environment and Recreation responsible for managing natural areas in the ACT (over 53% of the ACT). The efforts of enthusiastic Canberra residents involved in the community program Park Care greatly assist with some of the weed control work.

Urban Wildlife

The abundant wildlife in the 'Bush Capital' sometimes results in animals becoming injured or trapped in suburban areas. Parks, Conseration and Lands Rangers are on call 24 hours a day to assist injured or trapped wildlife, and attend to venomous snakes and swooping birds.

• An injured Southern Boobook Owl ( JPEG 103Kb)
• Brown Snake caught in bird netting ( JPEG 1.4Mb)
• Brown Snake after being cut free from bird netting ( JPEG 61.7Kb)

Bushfires

Living in the 'Bush Capital' means that bushfires sometimes come close to and impact on urban areas. Environment and Recreation staff are part of the largest bushfire fighting brigade in the ACT—the 'Parks Brigade'. The Parks Brigade not only suppresses bushfires but also undertakes hazard reduction burns and other fuel reduction works near important public assets and significant areas. This work helps to reduce the intensity and rate of spread of bushfires.

• Hazard burning at Black Mountain ( JPEG )

Contact Information

For more information, including details of ranger guided activities, please phone:

• Southside (02) 6207 2087
• Northside (02) 6207 2113

Discover a whole new side of the Bush Capital in Canberra Nature Park.

Links

• Canberra Nature Park Maps
• Canberra Nature Park Map and Guide
• Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve
• Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve
• Urambi Hills Nature Reserve

Downloads

• Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve Brochure ( PDF 466Kb)
• Dogs in Canberra Nature Park Information Sheet ( PDF 211Kb)
• Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of NSW and ACT—Poster ( PDF 657Kb)
• Pinnacle Nature Reserve ( 2.48Mb)