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The Wildlife geocache is placed within the regionally significant Gresswell Forest Nature Reserve; the cache has been placed to recognise the work done by various organisations and individuals to preserve and rescue our Native Fauna and Flora. Some volunteers rescue and rehabilitate Native Wildlife and others work hard to preserve the land and flora to provide habitat links.
Location of the Cache is in :THE GRESSWELL FOREST NATURE RESERVE
Gresswell Forest, with an area of 52 ha of Crown land, was originally set up as a buffer zone around the Mont Park Hospital in the early 20th century when tuberculosis was a common disease and patients needed to be isolated from surrounding housing. It was transferred to the management of La Trobe University in 1978 to provide residents with an insight into the University’s commitment to maintain a role in the wider community through its work in restoration biology. Gresswell Forest was the primary model for the restoration of the La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary. The only other surviving large tract remnant of a River Red Gum Woodland on Silurian geology being on the Simpson (Watsonia) Army Barracks. In 1997, as part of a greater flora and fauna survey, Gresswell Forest was found to be a site of Regional Faunal Significance with High Habitat Significance. It contains one of the largest, least fragmented, and most intact stands of alluvial plain grassy woodland in the inner Melbourne area.
Organisations such as Wildlife Victoria, Help for Wildlife and the Wildlife Rescuers are all active organisations in this area. These groups, among many, are not for profit and volunteer based organisations that are at the forefront of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in Victoria; they provide a 24 hour, 7 day a week wildlife rescue and information service also maintain a wildlife care and communication networks across Victoria which assists wildlife rehabilitators.
If you see any injured or orphaned wildlife, please call Wildlife Victoria on 13000 94535, or Help for Wildlife on 0417 380 687 or Wildlife Rescuers on 0417 506 941.
The Cache container is a 2 litre Sistema, which has been painted a mottled brown and green. It has been covered with bark so should not be visible in its location. Please ensure it is covered well before leaving. The hide is off the beaten track with a short walk through some bushland and is concealed from casual view; watch out for prickly plants, spider webs and of course snakes.
***(For those of you nervous about walking through snake territory, here are some hints: walk with a heavy tread so that they can sense your movements and get well out of your way, always watch where you place your feet, including a few feet in front of you, don't step oversomething without being able to see what is on the other side and of course, avoid walking through long grass on a hot day!)***
On a more charming note: watch out for the Kangaroos, possums, parrots and other wildlife!
There are ample car parks located around the Gresswell Reserve,some of which have public toilets, picnic tables, bbqs and playgrounds. You can reach the cache site easily from any of the entry points, however I parked near the playground on Greenwood drive and walked through from there. It's a short walk along either of several rough tracks (Northern Boundary or Swamp Gum) and then you need to head 'bush' for a short way to reach the GZ, but please be careful to not damage any flora on the way! I recommend visiting the other geocache in the Reserve, "It doesn't look like Roo..."!
Initial cache contents are, in addition to the usual logbook and pen:
FTF Pennant (plus wildlife sticker) and also a Matchbox 4x4 car, Geocaching sticker, several Aussie pens, an Aussie souvenir key ring, several Wildlife Victoria stickers, several small cling koalas and a large plush kangaroo toy. I have placed all the contents in ziplock bags to protect them.
CONGRATULATIONS TO 80degrees FOR BEING FIRST TO FIND!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur pnpur vf uvqqra va n "Jvyqyvsr Znafvba" ng nobhg purfg urvtug; bapr lbh trg pybfr vg fubhyq or snveyl boivbhf jurer vg vf uvqqra!