Scenic
Rim Wildlife Ecology Centre
Suitable
for: families, conference tours, 'grey nomads', amateur
naturalists, universities, schools, scouts and other student or
special interest
groups,.

1770
Running Creek
Road, via Rathdowney
(on Lions
Road loop of Rainforest Way, adjacent to Andrew Drynan camping
and picnic reserve)
17.7km
from
Rathdowney, southeast Queensland
The Centre is run etirely on solae power (see photo above right)
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The Scenic
Rim
Wildlife Ecology Centre includes an indoor
section and outdoor
nature trails
The
Centre is on Running Creek
Road, via Rathdowney, and just 90
minutes away from Brisbane, Ipswich, the Gold Coast or
Lismore, making it an easy day trip
with scenic driving en route. It
is
ideally situated for those exploring the Rainforest Way, Australia's
Green Cauldron or the Great Sunshine Way, or for those taking a scenic
route between Brisbane and New South Wales.
The Andrew Drynan picnic and camping reserve is just around the corner
(five minutes' walk), and there are B&B's, self-contained cabins,
farmstays, motels and hotels within 45 km (some within 20km).
Find us on
Google
maps
Guests on
our
3-day Wildlife Overview tour and the 2-day Budget
Wildlife Camp explore the Centre.
Others are very welcome with sufficient
advance notice.
Inside
the
Wildlife Ecology Centre:
-

What
is so different about Australia?
What is different about our
mammals, birds, reptiles, plants and other natural features compared to
the rest of the world
- What
is so different about the Scenic
Rim What is different about our
mammals, birds, reptiles, plants and other natural features compared to
the rest of Australia
- 500
million years overview of the geological
and
evolutionary history of Australia as a whole and the Scenic Rim
region
in particular
- Australia's
ecosystems
and
habitats
-
marine,
freshwater
and land, and a sample of
animals that live there
Exploring
wildlife though science, natural
history and art
- Wildlife
ecology, using
local
examples
-
what
does
an
animal
need in its daily life in order to stay
alive and reproduce, effects on populations and communities
- Wildlife
behaviour, using
local
examples - why animals do what they do, senses of animals (don the
platypus mask pictured here to seek your prey)
- Library of books and journals
dealing with local wildlife
- Wildlife
of the Scenic Rim - background habitat, mammals, birds,
reptiles,
frogs, fish and invertebrates; local species, threatened species
- Children's
corner - puzzles, games, toys, arts/crafts and our
'rockaroo'
- Library
of
additional information - from children's books to science journals
- Theatrette for videos and powerpoint
presentations
Walk
through time as Gondwana breaks up and Australia begins its long
isolation from other lands.

Explore today's habitats

See what animals live in the Scenic Rim and learn about their behaviour
and ecology

Guess what these are, then lift the flap to find the answer
 On the
rest
of the property:
- Butterfly
walk - the foodplants for the larvae of
butterflies of the five major Australian families of butterfly, and
information on life cycles, behaviour and ecology (note: we have no
butterflies in captivity, but plenty bring themselves in, especially in
warmer months)
- Seed
dispersal walk - fleshy-fruited herbs,
shrubs, vines and trees with information on the animals that disperse
them
- Other
guided and self-guided walks in preparation
- Rainforest
(seasonally dry) and rainforest regeneration
- A
full
kilometre of creek, home to catfish, eels, turtles, ducks and
platypus,
- Eucalypts
with understorey of primarily native
grasses
- Riparian
community of sheoaks, tea-trees and other
natives
- Good
birdlife, also red-necked wallabies,
pademelons, possums, bandicoots, other native mammals, reptiles and
frogs
The
surrounding region:
- Campground
next door, and various styles of
accommodation within 45 km (some within 20km)
- National
Parks: Mt
Chinghee National Park (seasonally dry
rainforest) adjacent to rpoerty, Border Ranges NP (extensive rainforest
and open
forests) just over border, Lamington NP (extensive rainforest and open
forests,
some mountain heath) visible from property but 90 minutes drive to
reach main
entry, Mt Barney NP (open forest, some mountain heath and rainforest)
40 minutes
- Scenic
Rim
generally - Moogerah Peaks, Lamington National Park, Mt Barney,
Tamborine Mountain, many cottagers, farmstays, wineries, great scenery
....
- Border Ranges region
generally (also
part of Rainforest Way and Australia's Green Cauldron), third highest
biodiversity in Australia
Cost:
- included
in cost of educational excursions or camps
- included
in cost of three-day wildlife tour or
weekend wildlife camp
- for
day-trippers or campers not involved in the
above, currently a donation of $4 per adult or $2 per child towards our
habitat restoration efforts (includes guided tour of information centre
and nature trails)
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