[DRAFT-REAL] Ghost Fungus
Omphalotus nidiformis
Bioluminescent fungus that glows faintly green at night. Toxic.
- Where
- On dead or dying eucalypts. Glows faint green in the dark. Toxic — do not eat.
Living Nature ›
The valley has more residents than the town does.
A small field guide to the species that share this site — what they look like, where to look, when to look. Written with the Cement Creek Catchment Group; checked annually with the Wurundjeri rangers.
A field guide · 8 species, on this site or within a kilometre
What lives here, and how to see it without scaring it.
[DRAFT-REAL] Mountain Ash
Eucalyptus regnans
The world's tallest flowering plant. The valley's old-growth Mountain Ash stands tower 80–100 m.
- Where
- Tall wet sclerophyll forest at higher elevations. Old-growth stands at Cement Creek and Toolangi.
[DRAFT-REAL] Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
A beak, fur, webbed feet, and electroreception — the valley's most surprising mammal.
- Where
- Slow-flowing streams and ponds with vegetated banks. Most active at dawn and dusk.
[DRAFT-REAL] Ruby Bonnet
Cruentomycena viscidocruenta
A vivid scarlet bonnet found on rotting wood after autumn rain.
- Where
- Decaying wood in damp forest. Tiny — easy to miss. Best after autumn rain.
[DRAFT-REAL] Soft Tree Fern
Dicksonia antarctica
Slow-growing tree fern that defines the valley's temperate rainforest understorey.
- Where
- Wet forest gullies, often clustered along streams and beneath Mountain Ash. Cool, shaded, year-round.
[DRAFT-REAL] Superb Lyrebird
Menura novaehollandiae
Australia's great mimic, dancing on fallen logs at dawn — one of the valley's signature birds.
- Where
- Damp gullies and fern-floored forest. Often heard mimicking other birds before you spot one — listen for chainsaws, camera shutters, and other species' calls deep in the undergrowth.
[DRAFT-REAL] Wedge-tailed Eagle
Aquila audax
Australia's largest raptor — a sacred figure in Wurundjeri creation stories.
- Where
- Soaring over forested ridges and open valley pasture. Watch the thermals on warm afternoons.
[DRAFT-REAL] Yarra Pygmy Perch
Nannoperca obscura
Small native fish endemic to the valley's creeks — listed as vulnerable.
- Where
- Slow-flowing creeks and ponds with submerged vegetation. Endemic to south-eastern Australia.
Six places, six things to look for
The site is small. The species are spread out anyway.
Walk the loop slowly — fifteen minutes at a normal pace, forty if you're looking. The front desk lends binoculars; please return them.
Birds
Plants & fungi
Mammals
When to see what.
Active
An ear-guide · five recordings
If you don't see it, listen.
Recorded on site between 2023 and 2026 by Eli Noor, the Hub's archivist, with a parabolic dish lent by the Healesville Sanctuary. Headphones recommended; the lyrebird does an excellent chainsaw.
Crimson Rosella · dawn chorusRecorded 04:52, 12 Oct 2024 · 1:24
1:24
Pink Robin · trillRecorded 11:18, 06 Jun 2025 · 0:46
0:46
Lyrebird · doing our chainsawRecorded 06:34, 22 Aug 2024 · 2:11
2:11
Cement Creek · the leat sluiceRecorded 14:02, 03 Mar 2026 · 3:48
3:48
Frog chorus · summer pondRecorded 21:30, 14 Jan 2026 · 1:52
1:52
Help keep the guide honest
Saw something? Tell us. The guide is updated quarterly from your notes.
We pool sightings with the Cement Creek Catchment Group's iNaturalist project. Photos are great but not required; a careful description with date and location is just as useful.