Get curious about tall forests

Meet the shyest members of your Victorian family here, in the tall forests. Deep in the Mountain Ash groves of Yarra Ranges National Park, look for the hollows where the Leadbeater’s Possum lives. They eluded us so thoroughly and for so long that they were once considered extinct. Now, we know they make their homes in the tallest forest trees in the world. These fairy possums who spend their night flitting from branch to branch can only live in trees that are more than 190 years old – their fleeting, precious lives kept safe by ancient guardians.

In alpine clearings where wetlands glow under night skies thick with stars, froglets grunt, chirrup and croak. In the Great Otway National Park, where endangered species cluster in a special refuge, lyrebirds call from the scrub thickets along forest paths and potoroos scamper through the undergrowth. Rare plants and fungi adorn the stands of mountain ash and shining gums, lighting up the understory with brilliant colours and intoxicating scents. We share our forests with all kinds of kin, from the mighty to the microscopic. Come and meet them.

The green ferns and mountain ash that line the roads of the black spur.

The forest giant - Mountain Ash

Standing in the heart of a tall forest, it’s hard not to feel small. Feel the wonder as you look up at the forest giants – towering trees that stretch into the sunlight. With some of these giants more than 300 years old, they remind us of our place in the world.
Close up of Alpine Tree Frog

Listening to protect frogs on Lake Mountain

An exciting new research project in Yarra Ranges National Park is underway to learn more about the biodiversity of frogs in the Lake Mountain plateau.
Still image from Science in Parks: Leadbeater's Possum video, with play icon overlay.

Science in Parks - Leadbeaters Possum

Follow Parks Victoria ranger Jo through the Yarra Ranges National Park as she discusses how STEM is used to inform real-world conservation actions for the park's critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum population. Through studying, research and monitoring, Parks Victoria and other agencies work to conserve and improve habitat for Leadbeater's Possums.

Get into tall forests

Get into tall forests

A three year old boy leads his mum and younger brother through the forest near Grants Picnic Ground.

Get connected to tall forests

Explore your roots through the maze of history written on Country and woven through the trees. Learn how the tall forests support every one of us in our own growing community.
Two men walking in Dandenong Ranges National Park

Get immersed in tall forests

Savour every moment when you get out of your routine and into the tall forests. A playground of adventure is waiting for you here.
A women walks through Kinglake National Park.

Get reinvigorated by tall forests

In the tall forests, even the biggest of us can feel tiny. Among these ancient giants, we are all children. Sink into the peace of deep time, and breathe in the ancient remedies of the forest.
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