Calperum Station (reserve) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Calperum Station Calperum Station, South Australia
Nephrurus levis from Calperum Reserve
Calperum Station Location in South Australia
Nearest town or city	Renmark
Established	1993
Area	2,386 km2 (921.2 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Austland Services Pty Ltd on behalf of the Director of National Parks
Website	Calperum Station
Footnotes	Coordinates Managing authorities

Calperum Station, also known as Calperum Reserve, is a special protected area in South Australia. It is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of Renmark. This reserve is a former sheep farm. It is now managed to protect nature and for scientific research.

Calperum Station is very important for a rare bird called the black-eared miner. Most of the area is considered "critical habitat" for this bird. It also includes a large part of the Riverland Ramsar Site, which is a wetland of international importance. Calperum Station is part of the bigger Riverland Biosphere Reserve.

What is Calperum Station?

Where is Calperum Station?

The reserve is located north of the Murray River. It shares borders with the Taylorville Station reserve and the Gluepot Reserve. Calperum Station covers a huge area of 2,386 square kilometers (921 square miles).

What kind of nature is there?

About 95% of Calperum Station is covered by Mallee trees and shrubs. These grow on sandy dunes. The other 5% is the Murray River floodplain. This area includes four important wetlands: Merreti, Woolpolool, Clover, and Woolpolool Swamp. These wetlands are part of the 30,600-hectare (75,600-acre) Riverland Ramsar Site.

Why is Calperum Station important?

The main goal of Calperum Station is to protect the "critical habitat" for the black-eared miner bird. This is done together with the Taylorville Station and Gluepot Reserve. The reserve is also vital for other animals. These include the malleefowl (a nationally vulnerable bird) and the bush stone-curlew (a regionally vulnerable bird). The nationally vulnerable southern bell frog also lives here.

Calperum Station is a key part of the Riverland Biosphere Reserve. This larger reserve helps balance nature conservation with human activities.

History of Calperum Station

Calperum Station was once three separate farm leases. These were called Calperum, Calperum Road, and Yubalia. In 1993, the Chicago Zoological Society bought these leases. They used money from the McCormack Foundation and the Australian Government. The land was then given to the Director of National Parks to hold in trust.

Since 2003, the Australian Landscape Trust Association Inc. (ALT) has managed the reserve. They also manage the Taylorville Station reserve. In 2013-2014, the land leases were transferred to Austland Services Pty Ltd. This company is owned by ALT. They continue to manage the properties for conservation.

How Calperum Station is Managed

As of 2014, Calperum Station and Taylorville Station are managed as one area. Austland Services Pty Ltd oversees this management. The agreement with the Director of National Parks states that the reserve should be a model. It aims to show how to follow the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Action Plan. This plan helps manage areas for both nature and people.

Calperum Station is not officially listed as an IUCN protected area. However, it is managed for many goals. These include protecting nature and promoting sustainable activities like tourism.