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Wilderlands acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Crowes Lookout Project, the Eastern Marr people, and pays our respects to their Elders past and present. We recognise and respect their deep and ongoing connection to land, water and culture, which has shaped and sustained this landscape for thousands of years.
We also extend our sincere gratitude to Cassinia Environmental staff member John van Tiggelen and volunteer Philip Hughes, whose dedication, field expertise and shared local knowledge have been instrumental in documenting the biodiversity values of Crowes Lookout.
The Crowes Lookout Project is located approximately 170 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, near the township of Lavers Hill in the Otway Ranges.
The site is characterised by tall wet forests dominated by towering Mountain Grey-gum (Eucalyptus cypellocarpa), Southern Blue-gum (Eucalyptus globulus) and Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua), alongside Mountain Ash, the tallest flowering tree species in the world.
These forests, interspersed with deep gullies and dense understorey, form a structurally complex ecosystem of high conservation value.
The dense undergrowth at Crowes Lookout provides critical habitat for a range of native mammal species. Notably, the Long-nosed Bandicoot was recorded on remote cameras within the project area in 2023, confirming the site’s importance for ground-dwelling mammals that rely on intact forest structure and leaf litter. Wet forests and their associated gullies play a particularly important role as drought refuges, offering permanently moist conditions that enable plants and animals to persist during increasingly dry climatic periods. Recent research by Dr Barbara Wilson highlights the significance of these gullies as essential refuges for conserving threatened small mammals across the Otway Ranges.
Crowes Lookout supports a rich assemblage of native birdlife, with 38 species recorded to date. In 2025, several bird species were recorded on the property for the first time, including the vulnerable Rufous Bristlebird, along with the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Crested Shrike-tit and Rufous Whistler.
The Gang-gang Cockatoo, a nationally endangered species and listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, was again recorded on the property, reinforcing the site’s role as ongoing habitat for threatened avifauna.
Native vascular plant diversity at Crowes Lookout has continued to increase, reaching a total of 50 recorded species. Noteworthy additions include Satinwood, which is listed as Vulnerable in Victoria, along with Bluebell, Bidgee-widgee and Fireweed Groundsel.
Encouragingly, the Victorian Flat-pea, an endangered species endemic to Victoria, was observed in flower during the survey period, providing a strong indicator of habitat quality and ecological resilience.
Of particular conservation significance is the Otway Black Snail (Victaphanta compacta), a shiny black, carnivorous snail found only within the Otway Ranges of Victoria. This endangered species was observed during every visit to the property, highlighting the stability and suitability of Crowes Lookout’s moist forest and gully habitats. Its consistent presence underscores the importance of protecting intact wet forest systems that support species with highly specific and sensitive habitat requirements.
Together, these findings confirm Crowes Lookout as a landscape of outstanding biodiversity value—supporting threatened species across multiple taxa, functioning as a critical climate refuge, and contributing meaningfully to the conservation of Victoria’s unique natural heritage.
Monitoring sites
Wilderlands utilises five established monitoring sites at the Crowes Lookout Project as integral
components of the ecological monitoring program.
The primary objective of this program is to monitor environmental changes and contribute to the understanding of biodiversity management at the property scale.
How Wilderlands monitor the flora at the Crowes Lookout
Site condition scores (visual assessments) using a rapid assessment proforma were undertaken at four monitoring sites. The sites are permanently marked with a star picket. The visual assessment included observations in a 1ha area (56m radius around the permanent marker).
These star pickets also double as photo monitoring points. Photographs taken provide a visual representation of the condition of the vegetation at each site.
Click the sections below to see the results from each site.
Monitoring Site Wilderlands PP01 was located within the Shrubby Wet Forest ecological vegetation
class.
Monitoring Site – Wilderlands PP02 was located within the Shrubby Wet Forest ecological vegetation class.
Monitoring Site – Cassinia PP01 was located within the Shrubby Wet Forest ecological vegetation
class.
Monitoring Site – Cassinia PP02 was located within a revegetation area.
Monitoring Site – Cassinia PP03 was located within the Shrubby Wet Forest ecological vegetation
class.
Bird Surveys
BirdLife Australia pioneered the Bird Atlas method, which involves the recording of bird species and the count of individual birds using a technique that is applicable to the situation. At Crowes Lookout, Wilderlands adopted the Five Minute Point Search methodology due to the nature of the dense
forest habitat.
The Five Minute Point Count involved standing at the monitoring star picket, and then documenting the birds occurring within a 50m radius for a period of 5 minutes. The radius was determined based on the distance at which we could confidently record all birds without having to move from the centre point. The data was entered into the Birdata app. Additionally, incidental species lists for the property were compiled and entered into the Birdata app.
Bird Richness and Abundance
Bird surveys were undertaken in winter and early summer in 2025.
In total, 120 birds were recordedin the monitoring sites, comprising 21 different species. Furthermore, 5 additional bird species were recorded outside of the designated monitoring sites and periods, and an additional two species were newly recorded on the property including Sulphur Crested Cockatoo and Rufous Whistler. This cumulative effort has resulted in the identification of 38 native bird species and one exotic species, for the Crowes Lookout Project.
In terms of seasonal variation, early summer monitoring shows higher overall bird activity than
winter. The Brown Thornbill was the most abundant species, with its early summer count
exceeding all other species. Forest Raven and Golden Whistler were recorded only in winter,
whereas the Yellowfaced Honeyeater was far more common in early summer. This may be due to
nectar availability as the Musk Daisy Bush and Hazel Pomaderris were in full flower during this time.
During winter 2025, 56 birds were recorded comprising 15 different species during the monitoring
period. Brown Thornbill was the most numerous species recorded while Brown Thornbill and White- throated Treecreeper were the most widespread species having been recorded on all five
monitoring sites.
During early summer 2025, 64 birds were recorded comprising 12 different species during the
monitoring period. Brown Thornbill was the most numerous species recorded while Brown Thornbill, White-throated Treecreeper and Yellow-faced Honeyeater were the most widespread species having
been recorded on all five monitoring sites.
Bird Richness and Abundance by Site
During winter 2025, Wilderlands PP1 had the highest bird species richness, and Wilderlands PP2 had
the highest bird abundance. During the early summer 2025 monitoring season, Wilderlands PP1 had the highest bird species richness while Wilderlands PP2 had the highest bird species abundance.
The key species of Crowes Lookout
Mountain Ash
The Mountain Ash tree (Eucalyptus regnans), is the tallest flowering species of tree in the world. It is a majestic and towering tree species that holds great significance on our Crowes Lookout project.
These towering giants grow in high rainfall, mountainous areas of Tasmania and Victoria, including areas in the Otway Ranges where yearly rainfall reliably exceeds 1000mm.
Mountain Ash trees usually thrive in pure stands, giving rise to tall and open forests. Their canopies provide shelter from the intense summer sun, creating a habitat for a diverse array of fern species in the understory. In regions with lower rainfall and less fertile soils, you can find Mountain Ash stands primarily in sheltered valleys or along watercourses.
Otway Black Snail.
Discover the endangered Otway Black Snail, a shiny-shelled, carnivorous creature that calls our Crowes Lookout project home.
Amongst the mountainous vistas, tall eucalypt trees and fern-rich gullies, this tiny snail faces threats to its survival due to habitat loss. It is only found in the wet forests of the Otway Ranges.
A land snail that preys on other invertebrates and breathes air with specialised lungs, it belongs to the large mollusc family, characterised by soft, unsegmented bodies. It is one of five carnivorous snail species in the Otway Ranges, and the only one endemic to the area (found nowhere else in the world).
Forest fungi
The Crowes Lookout project is teeming with fungi with hundreds, if not thousands, of species existing in the region.
It is the underground network of fungal fibres known as mycelia that underpin forest health and functioning, as beneath the surface fungal mycelia establish essential partnerships with plants, known as mycorrhizas.
These relationships are widespread, with over 90% of plant species — including nearly all plants in the Otway forests — depending on them. Remarkably, a single plant often teams up with multiple types of fungi and these interactions are some of the most vital biological processes sustaining life on Earth.
Fungi wrap around plant roots or infiltrate root cells, significantly expanding the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients and enhance plant health, increasing resilience to drought and protection from soil-borne diseases.
Fungi also provides food for dozens of native mammals such as wallabies and long-nosed bandicoots and in autumn underground fungi such as truffles can constitute most of their diets.
See examples of some of these fungi found at Crowes Lookout, including Flammulina species, Trametes or Stereum fungi, Gymnopilus sp, Stereum sp, Purple Jellydisc (Ascocoryne sarcoides), and Stereum species.
Koalas
In recent years, a significant milestone occured when we discovered Koalas on our Crowes Lookout project.
The discovery was made deep in the forest when one of our remote sound recorders picked up a Koala’s deep, echoing bellow.
You can hear the unique Koala calls on the sound recording Wilderlands captured below, listen carefully and you can hear their grunting in the background.
Wilderlands Lead Ecologist, Deanna Marshall, identified this unmistakable call, explaining the unique sounds made by these marsupials. Male Koalas, known for their deep bellowing and grunting due to a special sound-producing organ, use these calls mainly to attract mates.
Spurred by this discovery, the Wilderlands team found additional evidence of Koalas in Crowes Lookout, including distinctive scat and a decomposing skull.
Koalas face numerous survival challenges, including habitat loss, wildfires, disease, and road accidents. Their population has significantly declined, with a third lost between 1990 and 2010 and another 70% in the 2019-2020 bushfires. The Koala is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This discovery underscores our responsibility to protect them and ensure a safe habitat for their future.
Read the full article here.
Remote Cameras
Two remote cameras were installed at monitoring sites Cassinia PP1 and Wilderlands PP1.
Unfortunately, both cameras glitched, and no faunal detections were recorded during this time.
In recent years these cameras have captured some fascinating footage, including finding a wedge-tailed Eagle on the floor of the forest.
Protect precious biodiversity at Crowes Lookout project. Forever. One square metre at a time.
Nestled amidst mountainous vistas, towering trees, and fern-filled gullies, you’ll discover Crowes Lookout, a mere 170 kilometres southwest of Melbourne, near the picturesque town of Lavers Hill in the Otway Ranges. Crowes Lookout stands as a sanctuary defined by its majestic Mountain Grey-gum (Eucalyptus cypellocarpa), Southern Blue-gum (Eucalyptus globulus), and Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) trees, some exceeding 60 meters in height, fostering an arboreal ecosystem bustling with micro-bats, gliders, and an array of avian species. Among them, the towering Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) reigns supreme, soaring to heights of over 90 meters, claiming the prestigious title of the world’s tallest flowering tree species.
Within the lush undergrowth of Crowes Lookout, a haven is provided for the Long-nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus). Notably, the Otway Black Snail (Victaphanta compacta), a sleek, ebony-hued carnivorous snail, finds its exclusive habitat solely within the bounds of the Otway Ranges.
By becoming a part of the Wilderlands project, Crowes Lookout, you will be significantly contributing to the overarching preservation efforts aimed at safeguarding the wet forest ecosystems of the Otway Ranges.
Connect with our team to discover how you can join Wilderlands and protect this project today.
