Spring Mount Conservation Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spring Mount Conservation ParkSouth Australia |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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 Spring Mount Conservation Park
Location in South Australia
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| Nearest town or city | Victor Harbor |
| Established | 3 February 1966 |
| Area | 2.79 km2 (1.1 sq mi) |
| Managing authorities | Department for Environment and Water |
| See also | Protected areas of South Australia |
Spring Mount Conservation Park is a special protected area in South Australia. It's like a natural outdoor classroom! This park helps keep important plants and animals safe. It's located about 57 kilometers south of Adelaide. You can find it near towns like Hindmarsh Valley and Inman Valley.
Discover Spring Mount Conservation Park
Spring Mount Conservation Park is a beautiful place. It covers an area of about 2.79 square kilometers. That's almost the size of 300 football fields! The park is managed by the Department for Environment and Water. They work hard to protect its unique nature.
How the Park Was Created
This special area first became a protected place on 3 February 1966. It was called the Spring Mount Wild-Life Reserve back then. This was done under an old law to protect wildlife.
Later, on 27 April 1972, it officially became the Spring Mount Conservation Park. This happened under a new law called the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Over the years, more land was added to the park. This helped to make it even bigger and protect more of its natural environment.
What Makes Spring Mount Special?
The park is known for its amazing natural features. It gets a lot of rain, about 1,000 millimeters each year. This helps many plants and animals to thrive. The land is mostly a gently rolling plateau. It also has some small, steep valleys.
Plants of the Park
The main type of plant life here is an open forest. This means the trees are not too close together. You'll find tall Eucalyptus obliqua and E. baxteri trees. These are types of stringybark trees.
Underneath these tall trees, there are many different kinds of shrubs. These shrubs have tough, leathery leaves. This type of plant community is called "sclerophyllous." It's well-suited for the local climate.
Animals Living in the Park
Spring Mount Conservation Park is home to many interesting animals. It's a very important place for them.
- Yellow-tailed black cockatoos: These large, striking birds live here. The big trees in the park are perfect places for them to build nests and raise their young.
- Flame robins: These small, colorful birds are not very common in South Australia. But you can find them in Spring Mount Park.
- Scaly thrush: This bird is also found here. It's considered threatened in some areas because its natural home is being destroyed. The park helps keep them safe.
- Western grey kangaroos: You'll often see these large kangaroos hopping around the park. They are quite common here.
- Other Mammals: Besides kangaroos, at least five other types of native mammals live in the park. This shows how rich in wildlife the area is.
The park is mostly untouched by human activity. This helps the animals and plants stay healthy. There is an old quarry in one part of the park, but it doesn't disturb the main natural areas.
Protecting Our Natural World
Spring Mount Conservation Park is recognized internationally for its importance. It's listed as an IUCN Category III protected area. This means it's a special place protected for its unique natural features. It's like a natural monument that we need to keep safe for the future.
