This Friday, 26 March, Tasmanians will come together to celebrate the state’s newest nature reserve, Tinderbox Hills.

The 67 hectare reserve has been established on the Tinderbox Peninsula south of Hobart by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy (TLC), thanks to more than a thousand people making donations from all over the world.

TLC CEO James Hattam says the organisation is particularly grateful, though, to the support given by locals on the peninsula.

“This is an area where nature is highly prized,” says Hattam. “Tinderbox Peninsula has one of the highest densities of Land for Wildlife properties in Tasmania. This brand-new protected area links existing formal and informal reserves around the peninsula. Tinderbox now has a significant conservation area of over 220 hectares in an area rapidly becoming suburban.”

The TLC bought the property from Diana West, whose family – the Hales – have been in the area since 1946. Looking to sell part of her land holding, West decided the TLC would make a better owner than someone wanting to develop the area for housing or tourism.

“We used to camp there,” she says of the property. “All dad’s kids, grandkids and now great-grandkids have learned how to camp in a tent up that way.” She wanted a future for Tinderbox Hills where her family and other locals could still visit.

More than 80% of the Tinderbox Hills property is classed as vulnerable blue gum dry forest and woodland community, recognised at state and national levels as a high priority for protection. Among the vegetation, visitors might see the nationally threatened eastern quoll, eastern barred bandicoot, Tasmanian bettong and long-nosed potoroo.

“This is a conservation gem on Hobart’s doorstep,” says James Hattam. “The grassy woodlands of blue gum are in beautiful condition and protecting them in this reserve means critically endangered migrating swift parrots will have a place to return to every spring.”

“This reserve may also be the last breeding habitat on the Tasmanian mainland for an endemic Tasmanian bird, the forty-spotted pardalote. In February I was lucky enough to see two of these endangered birds on the property – knowing their habitat is now safe is a reminder of how vital this conservation work is.”

You can find out more about the reserve and see more wonderful photos here.

Featured image courtesy Andy Townsend and Tasmanian Land Conservancy.