The story of Ned’s Forest
In early 2023 Ned McNaughton, a young local naturalist, was out taking photos of native plants and animals near the boundary of the Mills’ property. He discovered a clearing being prepared for sub-division. Ned relayed his concerns about the future of the property to his mum and a family friend at Local Land Services. Word got out to the community and not long after local community members Julie and Mark Mills went to visit the property.
They found patches of old-growth habitat with 200+ year-old hollow-bearing trees supporting populations of threatened and Critically Endangered species, including Southern greater gliders, powerful owls, yellow-bellied gliders, glossy black cockatoos, brush-tailed phascogales and other species.
Recognising the property’s critical location as a wildlife corridor between the Eurobodalla and Deua National Parks, Mark and Julie engaged with neighbouring property owners about purchasing the property for its conservation value. The owners had been protecting the significant habitat on this property for many years, so when it came to a decision about who they would sell to, it was clear that Mark and Julie were the right people. They were pleased to see the tract of land they considered so precious preserved in perpetuity.
Ned’s Forest is protected in perpetuity under the ownership of the Biodiversity Legacy Ltd. Biodiversity Legacy is an environmental not-for-profit that works with landholders and community groups to protect land in safe ownership structures that support ongoing, community-led stewardship.
Read more about Ned’s Forest and Biodiversity Legacy here: Neds Forest, South Coast NSW – BioDiversity Legacy
The property
Biodiversity Legacy Ltd are the owners of Ned’s Forest, a property situated in Meringo, southeast of Moruya, New South Wales. The property is bordered by many smaller residential properties and is approximately 1km from the nearby Eurobodalla National Park. Ned’s Forest is a wildlife sanctuary and is comprised of old growth forest of eucalyptus and various other species, with the last evidence of logging in the forest from the 1930s. The gullies of Ned’s Forest are made up of littoral rainforest and there is no permanent water source on the property. Ned’s Forest is protected in perpetuity under the ownership of the Biodiversity Legacy Ltd.
Ned’s Forest spans 28 hectares and is comprised of Eucalypt forest dominated by a few species, littoral rainforest in the gullies and features native vegetation such as Casuarina spp.
The land provides habitat for a range of wildlife species including powerful owls (Ninox strenua), masked owls (Tyto novaehollandiae), swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), ring-tailed possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus), brush-tailed possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), wombats (Vombatus ursinus) echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Endangered greater gliders (Petauroides volans), various glider species, snakes, goannas (Varanus sp.) other reptiles and potentially potoroos (Potorous tridactylus).
