Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve New South Wales
IUCN Category Ia (Strict Nature Reserve)
Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve Location in New South Wales
Nearest town or city	Temora
Established	1982 (1982)
Area	7.56 km2 (2.9 sq mi)
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Website	Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

The Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve is a special protected area in New South Wales, Australia. It's located north of a town called Temora, in a region known as the Riverina. This nature reserve covers about 756 hectares, which is like 756 football fields! It's a place where nature is kept safe and sound.

How the Reserve Started

The Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve was created in 1982. Back then, the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service bought 551 hectares of land. This land was mostly a granite hill covered in trees. They knew this area was important to protect.

Later, in 2005, they added more land to the reserve. Another 205 hectares of similar hill country was purchased. This made the reserve even bigger, helping to protect more plants and animals.

The Rocky Hills of Boginderra

The reserve is home to the Boginderra Hills. These hills are part of a larger group called the Nurraburra Hills. The highest point in the reserve is 494 metres above sea level. That's pretty tall!

These hills are made of a special rock called Boginderra Granite. This granite formed a very long time ago, about 370 million years ago. It started as hot, melted rock deep inside the Earth. This melted rock, called magma, slowly cooled down and became solid granite. Then, over millions of years, it pushed up to where it is today.

The granite here is mostly made of two common minerals: silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide. Scientists have looked for other valuable materials in nearby hills. They found some rare elements, but not enough to be mined.

Amazing Plants and Animals

The Boginderra Hills Nature Reserve is full of different kinds of plants and animals. It's a great place to see what Australian nature is like.

Plants of the Reserve

The plants here are typical for this part of Australia. You'll find many types of eucalypt trees, also known as gum trees. There are also callitris (cypress pines) and acacia (wattle) species. Plus, there are lots of native shrubs, grasses, and ground covers.

Some important trees you might see include:

• Tumbledown red gum and red stringybark trees. These grow near creeks and in deeper soils.
• Tick bush and drooping sheoak. These prefer rockier, shallower soils, especially on the eastern and southern sides of the hills.
• Dwyer's red gum, black cypress pine, and currawang (Acacia doratoxylon). You'll find these on rocky ground and exposed areas.
• White box and yellow box trees. These are found in the north-east part of the reserve.

You'll also spot Kurrajong trees scattered throughout the reserve.

There are two very special plants in the reserve that are important to protect. One is Brunonia australis, a small plant with pretty blue flowers. The other is Mitrasacme paradoxa, a small herb.

Animals of the Reserve

The reserve is home to many different animals. Scientists have seen lots of different species living here.

Mammals

You might be lucky enough to spot some of these mammals:

• Short-beaked echidna: A spiky creature that loves to dig.
• Common brushtail possum: A furry animal that often comes out at night.
• Eastern grey kangaroo: A large kangaroo that hops around.
• Swamp wallaby: A smaller kangaroo-like animal.
• Red-necked wallaby: Another type of wallaby.

Scientists haven't yet done special studies to find bats or very small mammals here. So, there might be even more animals waiting to be discovered!

Birds

Birdwatchers will love this reserve! At least 65 different bird species have been seen here. Many more are likely to live in the area.

Some special birds that are considered threatened have been recorded:

• Turquoise parrot: A beautiful parrot with bright colors.
• Speckled warbler: A small, camouflaged bird.
• Brown treecreeper: A bird that climbs tree trunks looking for insects.
• Grey-crowned babbler (eastern subspecies): A noisy, social bird that lives in groups.

Reptiles and Amphibians

The reserve is also home to many reptiles and amphibians, including:

• Southern shiny-tailed gecko
• Tree dtella
• Thick-tailed gecko
• Nobbi lashtail
• Tree-crevice skink
• Shiny-palmed shining skink

How People Use the Reserve

Long ago, Aboriginal people might have used the Boginderra Hills for different purposes. However, no clear evidence has been found yet.

Before it became a reserve, the land was used for grazing livestock like sheep or cattle. Because the hills are rocky and steep, it was hard to grow crops there. This meant that the land wasn't cleared of its natural trees and plants, unlike the flat plains nearby.

A special marker, called a trigonometric station, was placed on the hill. It's called Nurraburra. This marker helps mapmakers measure the land accurately.

Today, people can visit the reserve for fun activities like hiking. However, there are no special walking trails built here. The NSW Parks and Wildlife Service wants to keep the reserve as natural as possible. They limit facilities to protect the plants and animals from too much human impact.