Serendip sanctuary is located at Lara which is an hours drive from Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. I work there as a volunteer replanting native vegetation and generally improving the appearance of the environment. Serendip is located in the region known as the Western Plains of Victoria. These plains were formed millions of years ago when they were covered by lava from volcanic eruptions.

The sanctuary also provides a safe habitat for migratory birds and I have assisted by building bird boxes to encourage these birds to breed. You will see a picture of one of these boxes at the bottom of this page.

The sanctuary is 250ha in area and is primarily wetlands which is home to many species of birds and animals. This part of Victoria is also visited by several migratory species of birds which travel thousands of kilometres each year.

There are several walking trails around the wetlands, as shown below, which are open for visitors to explore and the view the wildlife.

This is a section of the walking trails around Serendip Sanctuary

Path through the grasslands.	Dry farm dam in the Summer.	Emu on the open plains.
A 12 month old Western Grey Kangaroo.

Many birds can be viewed from bird hides and open viewing including the Australian Bustards, Brolga, Cape Barren Geese and many other birds.

There are also a large number of kangaroos and emus which wander freely about the sanctuary, and if you look carefully you might even see a koala sleeping in one of the trees.

This is one of the bird boxes made for the chestnut teal ducks. The box is made from a hardwood chosen to resist rotting without needing to use chemical preservatives. This is important to avoid poisoning the birds by exposure to toxic chemicals. Also toxins which build up in their bodies could also move through the food chain and harm other species. The dimensions and design of the box are important to discourage possums and other species from invading the boxes but to make them comfortable for the ducks. These bird boxes are typically mounted singularly about two metres above the water line.

Chestnut teal duck box.

Friday April 25, 2003