Paul McCauley and Kristin Hoerlein are the owners of Gathering Moss, a property located approximately 35km south of Bicheno, Tasmania. The property is a dedicated wildlife sanctuary and it is Paul and Kristin’s intent to continue to utilise the property for conservation purposes, including wildlife rehabilitation.
Gathering Moss covers 24 hectares of teatree and eucalypt forest and marshland on the edge of Moulting Lagoon, a Ramsar listed and internationally significant wetland. Vegetation includes Risdon peppermint (Eucalyptus risdonii), Oyster Bay pines (Callitris rhomboidea), teatrees (Leptospermum scoparium), silky oaks (Grevillea robusta), silver banksia (Banksia marginata), juniper wattle (Acacia ulicifolia) and a variety of native grasses and mosses.
Wildlife species known to inhabit the sanctuary include bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Bennett’s wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus), spotted-tail quolls (Dasyurus maculatus), and Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). Gathering Moss is also home to an abundance of birdlife including white-bellied sea-eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster), black swans (Cygnus atratus), pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus), yellow-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus funereus), and a variety of parrots.