This cold-blooded reptile needs heat to warm up their body. You might see Blue Tongued Lizards out in the summertime because they LOVE the heat of the sun. By warming themselves up, it helps them move around and also digest their food.
Junior Rangers did you visit the coast this summer? Maybe you live near the coast? Well, if you are ever thinking about visiting the coast, check out this month’s plant species!
What is this summer’s plant of the month?
The coastal banksia is a tree which can grow 15m tall! This tall tree is found along coastal habitats or high mountain areas. It can grow quite quickly which
G’day Junior Rangers!
My name is Ranger Millie. I work in the Shipwreck Coast and Hinterlands. But where is this you might ask?? It’s the wild south west coast of Victoria! The Port Campbell National Park – home to tall cliffs, wild winds, monstrous seas and of course, The Twelve Apostles! Back in the early days of European settlement there were many, many shipwrecks along this coastline, which is how it got its name. Some of these wrecks broke apart and disappeared in the sea, while some of them remain on the ocean floor to this day.
Banner image: The immense trees and tranquil, ferny undergrowth of Great Otway National Park make it one of the most special places to visit in Victoria. Image: Parks Victoria
Your lights at home aren’t the only thing that glow – did you know that some organisms in nature also have this ability? Known as the Jewel of the Otways, Melba Gully is a beautiful place to visit in both the day, for its beautiful forest surroundings, and the night, for the presence of glow-worms. Take time to stop and listen to the sounds of Melba Gully as the glow-worms light up the environment around you.
I started volunteering with Parks Victoria this year when I saw that they were starting the Great Gariwerd Bird Survey. The opportunity included 10 weeks of classes which I was very excited about. I was a novice bird watcher and was getting frustrated that I couldn’t identify birds because I didn’t know what I was looking for. The course looked at lots of different groups of birds and how to tell them apart. We also worked on identifying birds by their calls, which is a very handy skill as seeing bird at the tops of very tall trees is really hard!
Follow these 4 simple steps to create your profile and start booking your Junior Ranger adventures!
Have you ever visited The Great Ocean Road? Maybe you live near it? Well, just a stone’s throw (not that far) you will find a Wildlife Reserve known as Tower Hill. This historic park is on the land of the Gunditjmara peoples. It erupted over 32,000 years ago (wow!) and is Victoria’s largest dormant volcano. There are so many reasons to visit Tower Hill for International Mountain day Junior Rangers so keep reading!
Hunting for Pobblebonks
There is a good chance you have heard of the Pobblebonk Frog, because it is one of the most well known frogs in Victoria! If you don’t know the name Pobblebonk, maybe you know it by its other name, the Banjo Frog? It is named this because of the banjo-like ‘plonk’ or ‘bonk’ sound it makes.
Its ok if you have not heard of this frog at all, because by the end of this article you will and you may even be able to go out and find some yourself!
Ever wonder what the landscapes and wildlife seen by European settlers in the 1840s was like? At Woodlands Historic Park, you can get a feel of just that! The park has a 150-year old homestead, Indigenous scar trees, native woodland and grassland and much much more! (more…)
Holiday Program Update
Hello junior rangers – we’ve made it to the holidays and we are so excited! Have you been online to book your activities yet? Spaces are filling up fast so make sure you go to https://staging.juniorrangers.vic.gov.au/cms/whats-on/ to secure your place.
Can’t make it to an activity this time? No problem! Our Park Rangers plan to bring the parks to your living room with our live events. It’s a great chance to ask them lots of questions about our wonderful wildlife and have them answer live on air! Our Junior Rangers also have you covered as we share more ideas to get you outside exploring and having fun outdoors.
Junior Ranger Activity Challenges
A little while ago we celebrated the winners of our spring school holidays Macpac competition, Kaia and Sana, and shared some of their wonderful photos with you all. Lots of you emailed in to tell us what you had been up to and we loved receiving all your photos too. Junior Ranger Kaia has sent us something since we spoke to her, which was inspired by all the ranger videos that we posted as part of our ‘30 things in spring challenges’. Check out our winner’s blog and Kaia’s video about one of her favourite parks and some of the wonderful plants and animals that live there.
Summer Challenge # 2 Can you make a two minute Junior Ranger video talking about your favourite park? Send it in juniorrangers.com.au and we might feature it in our next newsletter.
If you’re a little shy in front of the camera why not take up Summer Challenge # 3 sent in by Junior Ranger Zachary.
Find some thin and bendy branches, stems or grasses that you’re allowed to use at home.
Christmas star tree decoration
Our live webinars are back!
We know how much you loved our live events with our Park Rangers so we have more planned for the holidays. Join Ness and Ebonee as they explore some of the treasures from Serendip Sanctuary.
To book your place, click here to register.
Merry Christmas and a Happy 2021
From everyone here at Parks Victoria and at Macpac we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and can’t wait to see you out enjoying the parks over the summer holidays. Don’t forget to email us your activity ideas and photos of you enjoying the outdoors!
© Copyright 2014 - 2023 Parks Victoria