LOCAL PLANTS

One of the positive aspects of the original land development up and down Noosa’s Eastern Beaches was that the developers, T M Burke, didn’t clear the native vegetation from the allotments.

If you climbed up to the T M Burke caravan in Marcus Beach that sat on the hillock at the southern entrance of Mahogany Drive and signed up for a block it was likely to be covered in Wallum Banksia, Wedding Bush, Grasstrees, Midyim, Shepherd’s Crook Orchid and more. But because these were not acknowledged as garden plants in those days many of the new owners, unaware of their unique beauty, removed them and replaced them with exotics or non-local natives.

Fortunately, there are still examples of most of them in a number of backyards, in our reserves and on roadsides. And now that they are more recognised, many are available from nurseries such as the Coolum Community Native Nursery   giving us the opportunity to re-introduce them to our gardens.

The vegetation of the dunes varies considerably between the hind-dunes, swales and foredunes.

Further inland the rare coastal ecosystem of wallum heath supports a wide variety of plant and animal species including the vulnerable glossy black cockatoo and ground parrot.

Learn more about each unique environment below or by visiting one of our interpretive walks.  If you can’t visit in person then view our online journey across the dunes.