Local man John Burns has worked tirelessly for 30 years to restore and see the Kalimna Rainforest Gully be restored and thrive.
Many people are familiar with the Kalimna Loop walking track and the rainforest gully it passes along the way.
Not so many, however, are familiar with the gully’s interesting history.
In 1974, Dr David Cameron, botanist, documented the gully as ‘a site of special biological significance’, identifying at least eight rare or threatened plant species including three species of ‘state significance’.
However, Dr Cameron also documented that the gully was so degraded due to past neglect and misuse by local authorities and the general public it was unlikely it could be saved from extinction.
But some people saw a challenge and so began the painstaking task of removal, by hand, of the jungle like ivy, weeds and living garden waste that flourished in the ideal conditions.
Part of this gully is privately owned and part is Crown land. In 2000, the current owners placed a restrictive covenant on their property, the purpose being to safeguard, in perpetuity, the ecological values of the rainforest.
IMAGE: The rare white headed pigeon has been spotted in the Kalimna Gully Rainforest. (PS)
