On our website we define a tree as any plant species that grows to a height of more than 4 metres; shrubs 1-4 metres; flowers less than 1 metre; grasses and forbs less than 0.2 metres.

Our 150 different bird species are the main attraction for most people. Our trees are not very impressive but we think they are the key to the future of our local environment.

The original tree species mix at Mandeni Park has been drastically altered by farming for corn, selective harvesting for saw logs, sleepers and firewood and the affects of 200 years of European settlement.    Nothing we do now can completely restore the original environment but we can help to regenerate some species diversity by replanting trees and encouraging regeneration of whatever reappears.    This website aims to catalogue the existing species and also to monitor future changes.

Tree Distribution

Even though there are hundreds of species of Eucalypt there are only relatively few species found at any location despite the existence of suitable habitat for many species.   The terms “Gum Tree” or “Gums” usually refers to eucalypts with a smooth bark on the main trunk – Monkey Gum and Manna Gum are the most common at Mandeni Park.

The area around the hostel through to Racecourse paddock was farmed for corn until around 1900, most of the regrowth in such areas is of colonising species such as E. elata, E. sieberei and Stringybarks with very few Bloodwood or Woolybutt and no large stumps.   The adjacent areas were used for grazing cattle, many trees were simply ringbarked  and examples can still be seen, generally surrounded by regrowth younger than 100 years old.  Red Bloodwood was not used for sawlogs and are found in dryer areas which were not considered worth clearing.

At the Rainforest there is a good stand of Muttonwood, a remnant rainforest species.   We would like to re-establish the original species which are not necessarily accurately represented by the current species mix because some of the best timber trees would have been selectively logged.    Our initial aim is simply to establish a canopy under which a more typical rainforest could be developed over many years.

Feed Trees

Different trees provide food at certain times of the year which is essential for certain birds or mammals.    E.g.  Bloodwoods provide copious nectar for lorikeets, fruit bats and glider possums; Casuarina provide nuts for Glossy Black-Cockatoos; Olive Blueberry, Muttonwood and Lilly Pilly provide food for pigeons, bowerbirds and others.   Acacias produce gum which may be essential winter food for some possums.

Nesting Hollows

Nesting hollows normally take about 200 years to form in eucalypts.   Hollows are less likely to burn than nests made of dry twigs and are eargerly sought by many birds, possums etc, various studies have shown that the total number of many native species is limited by the availability of nesting hollows.   We have mounted over 50 nest boxes to try to relieve the shortage caused by the high proportion of young trees at Mandeni Park.

There is an excellent old Blackbutt habitat tree beyond BBQ Green at 59630E 18300N.  We have trapped an eastern pygmy possum in this area.    Old Red Bloodwoods are a major source of nesting hollows.  Old Silvertop Ash often have broken branches but do not normally produce hollows suitable for nesting; neither do Stringybarks.

Firewood

We used to burn about 300 tons/annum of firewood in the 35 glass fronted stoves at Mandeni.   All of this wood was from the original development clearing or from fallen or dangerous trees.   We do not cut firewood from dead trees which should be left to maintain the environment and because they are often filled with sand brought into the timber by ants, this sand rapidly blunts the chainsaw chain.

The heat value of air died timber is about 15kJ/g (about half that of black coal 30kJ/g).  It is easier to cut firewood from green logs; the split wood should then be air-dried for a year before burning in order to reduce smoke and tar formation in chimneys.   Denser timbers are preferred because they burn for longer.  Favoured species are Red Bloodwood, Woolybutt and Box.   Lighter timber such as wattles are easier to set alight but are rapidly consumed in an open fire.   Stringybarks and Silvertop Ash are of moderate density; they are popular firewood species because they are easy to cut and split.

We continue to use trees for firewood although trees are never harvested, they are only removed either because they are in the road or dangerous!   All firewood logs are saved for future use.