In the words of Ronda Green zoologist and founder of The Scenic Rim branch of Wildlife Queensland The Rim is especially rich in wildlife because

• The long volcanic activity has given us more fertile soils than most of the continent, and we also have some of the older sedimentary soils dating back to before the days of the dinosaurs. Different kinds of volcanic soil supports different kinds of vegetation (broadly speaking, basalt supports rainforest and rhyolite supports some of our eucalypt forests), and other soils support other vegetation. This provides a diversity of habitats.
• The topography gives us different climatic conditions and further habitat types. The mountains to the east catch the moisture-laden clouds from the Pacific Ocean but areas to the west are left in what we call a 'rain shadow', the annual rainfall gradually decreasing towards the west, but with another pocket of relatively high rainfall as we reach the Main Range. The altitude varies from about 300m to about 1500m, allowing us to move from warm subtropical rainforest up to cool temperate rainforests, and from eucalypt forest and riparian sheoak vegetation on alluvial soils up to mountain heaths. Even just the combination of low-lying, gently undulating land, creeks and rivers, steep rugged gorges, cliffs, small caves and high plateaux provide many habitats and microhabitats.
• We are near the edge of two climate types - the Mediterranean climate of wet winters a d dry summers that the southern coasts of Australia experience are not too far away, but here we have the tropical pattern of wet summers and dry winters. Many southern species reach their northern limit here or not far from here, and many northern species are close to their southern limit. Thus we are getting diversity from both directions.
• Migratory birds, bats and insects pass through here (or settle for breeding or non-breeding seasons) on north-south journeys, and nomadic birds from the west head our way when droughts are bad.

The Scenic Rim branch site has lots of information about the variety of wildlife that co-exist with human settlement and businesses in that region. Eco tourism and nature based businesses support the large numbers of visitors - local national and international who come to experience what can only be provided by healthy natural environments - where there is harmony between  nature and man. Wilderness experiences are available for adventurous within the Scenic Rim. 

Despite the economic, social,cultural and environmental values existing within the community, there are still the real risks of loss if there is no groundtruthing of those values. Hence many fauna tours are being arranged to collect data. If you would like to join in future surveys, please contact Ronda on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click on image to see FAUNA OF THE CSG PIPELINE ROUTE.