Lake Connewarre State Wildlife Reserve facts for kids
The Lake Connewarre State Wildlife Reserve (LCSWR) is a special park in Victoria, Australia. It covers about 3,411 hectares, which is like 3,411 football fields! This amazing place has many different natural areas, called ecosystems. You can find a river, a delta (where a river meets the sea), lakes, swamps, salt marshes, and grasslands here.
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Discovering Lake Connewarre
The Lake Connewarre State Wildlife Reserve is located in Victoria, Australia. It's on the Bellarine Peninsula, near the end of the Barwon River. The reserve is about 8 kilometers south-east of Geelong and 65 kilometers south-west of Melbourne.
This reserve is very important because it has the largest area of original plant life left on the Bellarine Peninsula. It also has the biggest examples of special plant types called Wilsonia herblands and Distichlis grasslands in Australia.
Inside the reserve, you'll find the salty Lake Connewarre itself, which is affected by tides. There's also the freshwater Reedy Lake and the Murtnaghurt Lagoon, which sometimes dries up.
Fun Activities at the Reserve
Part of the Lake Connewarre State Wildlife Reserve is a State Game Reserve. Here, people can go hunting for ducks and quail each year. But there are many other fun things to do too! You can go fishing, windsurfing, or canoeing. It's also a great place for nature study, where you can learn about plants and animals.
Ancient History at Campbell Point
A place called Campbell Point sticks out into Lake Connewarre. This area holds the oldest Aboriginal discoveries found on the Bellarine Peninsula. These ancient remains are between 3,600 and 5,200 years old. They are very important because they show that people gathered shellfish here a long time ago. This was not common along the central coast of Victoria.
Amazing Wildlife and Plants
The Lake Connewarre State Wildlife Reserve is home to over 150 different bird species. Many of these are migratory birds. This means they fly long distances between countries. These birds are protected by special international agreements, like the Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement and the China Australia Migratory Bird Agreement.
Protecting Rare Species
Twelve different plant and animal species in the reserve are listed as threatened. This means they are in danger of disappearing. They are protected under Victoria's Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
One very special bird found here is the orange-bellied parrot. This parrot is listed as critically endangered. This means it's very, very close to extinction. According to The Action Plan for Australian Birds, there are only about 180 adult orange-bellied parrots left in the wild. Their numbers are still going down, so protecting places like Lake Connewarre is super important for their survival.
The reserve is also part of the Bellarine Wetlands Important Bird Area. This area is recognized by BirdLife International because it's so important for orange-bellied parrots and many other waterbirds.
