The Taungurung community has partnered with the Euroa Arboretum for many years and wawa biik is fortunate to access this special place for cultural education experiences.

The Strathbogie landscapes have been severely altered by colonisation. Ever since the late 1990s when the Euroa Arb started putting native plants back into the degraded soil, they have been driven by a clear and urgent purpose: grow back the bush.  By cultivating healthy grassy woodlands and starting up a native seed production facility, they have been leaders in landscape restoration projects both at the Arb and across the State, creating healthy habitats for wildlife and us humans!  

Now, 30 years on, the team at the Arb are proud to offer their protected grasslands as a refuge for the threatened Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper – a species thought to have been extinct until their rediscovery in 2018. 

One hundred of these endangered grasshoppers have been relocated to the Euroa Arboretum thanks to a recovery trial led by the University of Melbourne, Zoos Victoria, Euroa Arboretum and the Taungurung Land and Waters Council.  With access to tussock grasses and native daisies for food and shelter, it is hoped these grasshoppers will successfully breed to secure their survival.  

Chatting with Bronte Haines who works at the Arb, she says “ I am delighted to welcome the Matchstick grasshoppers to the grounds. This year I notice more insects than I have before. Gum-leaf grasshoppers, Small Grassland Yellow butterflies, and Caper White butterflies are currently enjoying the grasslands. Knowing we are stewards for a threatened species, means we naturally take more species under our wing”.

wawa biik attended the official release of the grasshoppers at the Arb in September.  A lovely, nature-loving crowd of project staff, volunteers, and local community gathered under the picnic shelter with a cuppa and cake to celebrate the big arrival. Kids rattled the grasshopper containers keen to catch a glimpse of these tiny critters.  Zoos Victoria staff generously answered questions and provided educational information to help everyone learn and care about these precious new residents. It was evident just how important this nurtured pocket of Country is for the local community. The release of this grasshopper will hopefully encourage more people to care for this much-loved habitat haven for years to come.

wawa biik offers regular guided tours at the Euroa Arboretum on our wawa Euroa and wawa Euroa wayilak experiences. We will provide our guests with updates about the Key’s Matchstick Grasshoppers on all tours. 

For more information regarding the Keys Matchstick Grasshopper, go to Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper (zoo.org.au)