Eurardy Reserve

Eurardy Reserve is located about 6 hours drive north of Perth, straddling the North West Coastal Highway. The Reserve lies on the northern edge of the South-West Botanical Province of Western Australia. This area is recognised internationally as a 'hotspot' for biodiversity and an area needing urgent conservation action.

The Southwest Botanical Province covers only four per cent of Australia but 52 per cent of the nation's rare and threatened plant species occur there. Plant species diversity in this region is higher than in Australian tropical rainforests. On a global scale, the Province accounts for only 0.23% of the earth's land surface but it supports 12.6% of the world's rare and threatened flora. Tragically, land clearing and spreading salinity have devastated much of the region and the areas of native vegetation that remain are now very precious.

Eurardy helps to build a critical habitat corridor linking Kalbarri National Park with Unallocated Crown land and Toolonga Nature Reserve to the north. At just over 30,000 hectares, Eurardy protects a number of threatened vegetation communities, including five declared plant rare species such as Beyeria lepidopetala which was presumed to be extinct until it was discovered during a Wildflower Society bushland survey in 2005.

Eurardy’s relative proximity to nearby urban centres (namely Geraldton, only 150kms to the South) and Kalbarri National Park and township to the West ensures that there are many exciting opportunities for collaboration. Reserve Managers are currently working with Kalbarri and regional Department of Environment and Conservation staff on a range of management issues such as feral animal control, fire management and monitoring of rare and threatened species. Collaborative projects have also been undertaken with WA as well as international universities and the Western Australia Wildflower Society, with other opportunities constantly emerging.

Eurardy Reserve is part of the Nanda peoples traditional lands and now protects over 30 000 hectares of native vegetation in this region. We know that there are at least five nationally endangered or vulnerable plants and at least 29 species that are a priority for conservation in the state.

Reserve managers will be concentrating on managing threats such as grazing and soil disturbance by feral goats and rabbits, predation of native animals by foxes and cats, weed invasion, and consolidating road networks and fire access tracks.

Generous support for the acquisition of this property was provided by The Nature Conservancy.