Mary Cairncross Reserve facts for kids
The Mary Cairncross Reserve is a special nature park in Queensland, Australia. It's located near a town called Maleny, on the Blackall Range. This beautiful reserve is about 88 kilometers (55 miles) north of Brisbane. It sits in the mountain rainforests and offers amazing views of the famous Glass House Mountains. It's a place where nature is protected.
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How the Land Was Formed
The area around Mary Cairncross Reserve has some really cool landforms. The most famous are the Glass House Mountains. These mountains were made thousands of years ago. They are actually the remains of old volcanoes! Over time, the outer layers of soil and rock wore away. This left behind the hard volcanic cores we see today.
The soil in this region is very rich and healthy. This is because it has lots of decomposed volcanic rock. Volcanic rock is full of nutrients. These nutrients help plants grow strong and healthy.
The Story of Mary Cairncross Reserve
The Mary Cairncross Reserve was given to the Landsborough Shire Council in 1941. Three sisters, the Thynne sisters, donated the land. They named the reserve after their mother, Mary Thynne. Her maiden name was Cairncross, and she was born in 1848.
Today, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council helps manage and care for the reserve. Volunteers also help out every day at the Thynne Natural History Education Centre. The main reason the reserve was created was to protect the amazing plants and animals of the Maleny region.
Exploring the Rainforest
The reserve covers about 55 hectares (136 acres) of subtropical rainforest. These types of rainforests are mostly found in the northeast parts of Australia. The Cairncross reserve is a large area, about 530,000 square meters. Its tallest trees can reach up to 440 meters (1,444 feet) high!
One of the main trees you'll see here is the Australian red cedar. Other important parts of the rainforest include strangler fig trees and different types of fungi. These are all vital for the rainforest to survive and thrive. You might even spot a red-legged pademelon hopping around the park.
Amazing Plants and Animals
The Mary Cairncross Reserve is home to a huge variety of living things. It's a hotspot for biodiversity!
- Plants: You can find 107 different kinds of trees here. There are also 30 types of herbs, 50 kinds of vines, and 3 types of palms. Plus, there are 21 species of fungi and 26 kinds of shrubs.
- Animals: The reserve is a birdwatcher's paradise with 139 different bird species. These include the colorful wompoo fruit-dove, the brown cuckoo-dove, tree-creepers, thornbills, scrub-wrens, and the green catbird. You might also see 11 different types of marsupials, 3 kinds of bats, 20 types of lizards, 14 kinds of snakes, and 14 different frog species.
Visitor Facilities
The reserve has great facilities for visitors. There's a Rainforest Discovery Centre, where you can learn more about the park. You can also enjoy walking tracks, a car park, barbecue areas, and a cafe.
The Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Discovery Centre building opened in 2017. It was designed by talented architects and has won several awards for its design and sustainability. It's a fantastic place to start your adventure in the reserve!
