When people think of rainforests, they often picture faraway destinations.
Yet many of us pass pockets of rainforest every day without necessarily knowing much about the plants, animals and stories they contain.
World Rainforest Day is approaching on 22 June, inviting us to consider this year’s theme – ‘the forest within you’. It’s a great excuse to slow down, get outside and explore some of the rainforest experiences our region has to offer.
Across the Port Macquarie Hastings region, rainforests can be found along creeks, behind beaches, in nature reserves and beside walking tracks. Whether you’re interested in learning to identify local plants, joining a guided experience or simply exploring somewhere new, there are plenty of ways to spend time among the region’s rainforests this World Rainforest Day.
Learn to recognise the trees around you
One of the simplest ways to get more out of a rainforest walk is to learn what you’re looking at.
Local environmental educator and author Pieta Laing developed her book, A Leaf-based Key to Rainforest Trees and Shrubs: Port Macquarie to Myall Lakes and west to Barrington Tops, after finding that many rainforest plants can be difficult to identify, even for people with an interest in nature.
Keep reading to discover how you can win one of three copies of this book in our giveaway!
Even with years of environmental experience behind her, Pieta found identifying many rainforest species surprisingly challenging. “I wanted to make it easier for people to identify rainforest plants,” Pieta says. She originally developed the guide for her own use after finding existing identification methods difficult to apply in the field and wanting a more practical system based on leaves.
The result is a practical guide that uses leaves rather than flowers or fruit to help identify rainforest trees and shrubs. Because leaves are available year-round, the system can be used whenever you’re out walking. Plants are grouped by easily observed features, such as whether leaves are opposite or alternate, smooth or toothed, making the guide accessible for beginners while still being detailed enough for more experienced plant enthusiasts.
Learning to identify even a handful of species can completely change the way a rainforest walk feels. What was once a wall of green becomes a collection of individual plants, each with its own story.
If you’re interested in trying Laing’s identification system for yourself, copies of the book can be purchased via her website. We’re also giving away up to 3 copies of this book! Learn how you can win a copy at the bottom of this article.
Explore a coastal rainforest at Sea Acres
If you’d like a guided introduction to local rainforest, Sea Acres National Park is a great place to start.
The visitor centre provides information about the plants, animals and ecology of the area’s coastal rainforest, while the elevated boardwalk offers an easy way to experience the forest up close.
Interpretive signage highlights features that are easy to overlook, and ranger-guided tours provide the chance to hear stories about the rainforest from experienced guides who can help bring the forest to life. Whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, there’s always something new to notice.
Take an audio tour through Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park
If you like to learn while you walk, the free Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park audio tour by Izi Travel offers an interesting and insightful way to explore.
Using a smartphone app, visitors can follow more than four kilometres of tracks through a mix of habitats, including subtropical rainforest, eucalypt forest and mangroves. Along the way, audio commentary highlights plants, animals and landscape features you might otherwise walk straight past.
While wandering the boardwalk, you may also come across local volunteers from Friends of Kooloonbung Creek. The group works alongside Council to care for the 55 hectares of reserve, helping to protect and enhance this much-loved natural area while sharing their knowledge and passion for the area with visitors.
Visit a rainforest you haven't explored before
Celebrating World Rainforest Day can also be as simple as choosing a new rainforest to visit. Across the Port Macquarie-Hastings region, you’ll find rainforest walks ranging from short boardwalks and easy nature strolls to longer bushwalking tracks. Each offers something a little different, whether it’s towering trees, birdlife, creekside scenery or the chance to spot a plant you’ve never noticed before. Visiting a rainforest you haven’t explored before is a great way to see a different side of the region.
If you’re looking for inspiration, the Port Macquarie tourism website has a range of suggestions for rainforest walks and nature-based experiences across the region.
A chance to look a little closer
World Rainforest Day can be a good reminder to explore a part of the region you haven’t visited before, learn something new about a familiar place, or simply spend some time among the trees. The next time you pass a pocket of rainforest, consider taking a closer look. You never know what you might discover!
GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of Pieta Laing's new book!
Bonus giveaway!
If we welcome 100 new subscribers during June, we’ll draw a 3rd winner from our subscriber list. Share our e-newsletter sign-up link with friends and family to help unlock the bonus draw.
Winners will be notified by email and announced in our July Environment Matters edition.
