Travels in the ACT, AustraliaTravels in the ACT, Australia20082008

Today we visit a nature reserve near to CanberraToday we visit a nature reserve near to Canberra

In the early morning the light is blue and clear as Rosie leads the way on

our walk through the bush.

What do we see? Over there among the trees.

Two pointed ears and a pointed nose and eyes that watch us carefully.

Like shadows they stand, blending into a grey world. Still creatures among the

craggy ridged gum trees

Through the bush we walk, then stop to listen and watch.

We see ...

And hear

We see a bright Crimson Rosella perched high in a tree.

And hear the sounds of birds calling to one another in the bush

• http://www.abc.net.au/archives/av/birds.htm#r• http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/feature/top-40-bird-songs.cfm

Find other Australian bird songs at:

On we walk, past termite mounds that hug trees

... and then we find one like this.What has been digging here?

The next day we find out.Here is the creature that made those

holes. What can it be?

In the evening sunlight it crosses

our path. Hears us and freezes next to the base of a tree. We keep still and

gradually it forgets we’re there. It

carries on looking for food.

Snuffling first this way and then that. It works its way among dead leaves and

twigs looking for tasty creatures to eat.

What is it?

It’s an Echidna

• You can find out more about Echidnas by looking on the following websites:

• http://www.amonline.net.au/explore/• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna

Finally we reach the end of our walk.

• What’s happening here?

People are building a new housing estate around two sides of the nature reserve. Will the creatures who live here be safe?

How can the people who move into these house make sure that

the creatures are safe?

What would you do?

We say thank you to Rosie for taking us out on such a wonder full walk.Thank you

Rosie

Rosie belongs to the Canberra bird watching group. You can find out more at: http://canberrabirds.org.au/

Her group has produced a guide to Mulligan’s Flat Nature Reserve you can download it from: http://preview.tinyurl.com/dgkm6n

Find Mulligan’s Flat using Google Maps: http://preview.tinyurl.com/dk8x7k

Primary Geography

Using this slide show will help you to:• make links between a place and the activities

that people can do there. (Geography NC PoS 3 -England)

• ask and answer geographical questions (Pos 1 – Geographical Enquiry), i.e. What is this place like? What do people do here?