Mount-Richmond-Nationalpark

The Mount Richmond National Park is a national park in the southwest of the Australian state of Victoria, 313 kilometers west of Melbourne and 75 km southeast of Mount Gambier. Mount Richmond is an extinct volcano on the edge of Discovery Bay, which was a long time ago, covered with sand, which was blown up from the bay. The land around the old volcano is flat and lies at sea level.

Naming and park foundation

The mountain and later the National Park were named to Richmond Henty, one of the first European- stämmingen children who were born in the Portland region.

The park was established in 1960 in memory of local naturalists, as Noel Learmonth and Cliff Beauglehole founded.

Vegetation

On the barren, sandy soil of basalt mountain vegetation could initially take only sparsely and slowly walk away. Today the park with eucalyptus forest, moorland and scattered swamps covered. In the summit region to find the Brown Stringybark Eucalyptus species and Manna Gum while have already taken hold in the moister, lower regions Peppermint and Gum Swamp. In the woods and in the heathland there all year round flowering plants, including 50 species of orchids.

Wildlife

In the Mount Richmond National Park is home to kangaroos, wallabies and echidnas, but also the rabbit kangaroo, a particularly rare and small, nocturnal Känguruart. On sunny places you can also copper head otters and tigers otters encounter.

In the swamps to emus, Pennant parakeets, cockatoos and helmet Currawongs find ( Strepera ), but also smaller birds such as honey eaters.