Ecological Vegetation Classes

This junction is a great spot to stop for a moment and think about how different the environment here feels compared to that in the carpark. You may notice it is a little cooler and more moist. These changes in habitat indicate that you may be entering a new Vegetation Class (EVC), which are characterised by different indigenous plants and animals. The diversity of EVCs at Endeavour Fern Gully provides habitat for a wide variety of birds and fauna, and creates a richer and more biodiverse environment.

Around you, you may start to see the first ferns and tree ferns in the gully, as water from the spring emerges closer to the path. If you take the branch to the left, a boardwalk will take you over the water. Is it flowing, or still? You may also see mud constructions around the creek bed which are the signs of Australian burrowing crayfish.

In this area you can also start to see mosses and lichens growing on tree trunks. Lichens are some of the most long lived of all species, growing very slowly in habitats from the coast to the high alps. They do not have roots like parasitic species, using the trees and rocks they grow on simply as support. Each lichen can be seen as a tiny ecosystem of its own, with bacteria, algae and fungi living in balance within the same structure.