Richmond Birdwing Butterfly South East Queensland’s rainforests are home to some remarkable Australian species that share distinct characteristics with the island of New Guinea to our north. Indeed, once joined across what is now the Torres Strait, this shared land-mass gave free rein for the colonisation of both sides by similar rainforest creatures, including the

Cascade Tree-frog (Litoria pearsoniana) Amphibians play a crucial role as bioindicators due to their high sensitivity to environmental changes, offering valuable insights into ecosystem health (Defenders of Wildlife, 2023). The Cascade Tree-frog (Litoria pearsoniana) is a fascinating amphibian species found in the rainforest gullies and wet sclerophyll forests of north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern

Stingless Bee (Tetragonula carbonaria) Pollinators play an integral role in the world’s ecosystem as they facilitate the pollination process of many of the world’s flowering plants. For example, without pollinators such as bees, agricultural crops would cease to thrive, leading to the demise of the animals that rely on them for sustenance, including us! (BBC,

Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) 52 million years ago, our early mammal ancestors living on a hotter, drier planet, developed something remarkable…the power of flight! This group of mammals, the bats, have since diversified across the globe into over 1,200 species. Here in South East Queensland, they have evolved into a spectrum of sizes, shapes and

Plunkett Mallee (Eucalyptus curtisii) Connecting Communities Native Seed Project – 2023 Update Author: Nicholas Groenenberg Since 2016, Natura Pacific has headed up an amazing project in South East Queensland to save native seeds from development areas and grow them into young plants for conservation areas. To date, over 7 million seeds of 136 species have

Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) A sharp beak that can pierce the thickest of skin, talons capable of ripping flesh from the bone and a pair of eyes as strong as night-vision goggles. These abilities surely provide any bird of prey with an advantage to thrive in the forests of South East Queensland. But while these

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) Surely one of Australia’s most iconic species, the Koala is renowned for its sleepy nature and its love of gum leaves. This remarkable marsupial draws millions of visitors to our nation’s zoos and sanctuaries. But while we marvel at them in these isolated refuges are we missing the bigger picture? Outside of