Discover Nature at Forest Rise

Short on time? This gentle wander takes you through marri and jarrah woodland, with banksias, kingias and seasonal wildflowers along the way. Keep an eye on the paddock edges for kangaroos and listen for parrots overhead.

Follow the changing textures of sheoak woodland, banksias and native shrubland. Look for fine, drooping sheoak branchlets, sculptural grasstrees and flashes of colour when the wildflowers are out.

Take a little longer among the jarrah trees. This walk passes through forest and low-lying shrubland before finishing at the lake – a lovely spot to pause and watch for waterbirds.

Look up – the night shift is on. With a slender, often white-tipped tail that grips branches, the western ringtail is beautifully equipped for life in the trees. It spends its nights feeding mainly on leaves and its days resting in sheltered places, including leafy nests called dreys. This South West local is critically endangered, so every patch of suitable habitat matters.

Bushy tail? That’s your clue. The brushtail’s thick tail and large ears help distinguish it from a ringtail. You might hear its nighttime calls before you see it. Watch quietly, give it space and let it get on with its evening.

A tiny climber with a very impressive tail. Phascogales have been sighted here at Forest Rise, although these secretive neighbours are easy to miss. The South West’s brush-tailed phascogale searches trunks and branches at night for insects and other small animals, then shelters in hollows by day. Look for grey fur, large ears and a black bottlebrush-like tail.

A rustle in the undergrowth? It could be a quenda. These small ground-dwelling marsupials have pointed snouts, rounded bodies and relatively short tails. They feature in our trail notes, so pause quietly if you notice movement close to the ground.

There’s a freshwater world to discover too. Marron are large crayfish native to the South West. For a fascinating regional conservation story, learn about the critically endangered hairy marron of the Margaret River and the work to protect it. Please remember that marron fishing is not permitted at Forest Rise.

• Keep to marked tracks and leave flowers, fungi and fallen timber where you find them.
• Watch quietly, give wildlife space and let animals find their own food.
• Drive slowly, especially around dawn and dusk.
• Use water thoughtfully and switch off unnecessary lights and appliances.

On warmer days, reptiles may be out too. Give snakes and lizards room, and never approach or handle them. If an animal appears injured or distressed, let our team know its location.

Spotted something special? We’d love to hear about it. Share your photograph with our team and tell us when and roughly where you saw it. Please take photographs from the track and keep your distance from animals and nests.