Welcome to the Scenic Rim group of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, established informally in 2009, and now a formal branch. We have so far conducted two successful WIldlife Expos in Beaudesert and a number of wildlife workshops on various themes (wildlife corridors, finding rare and cryptic animals, gliders, reptiles, potential impacts of coal seam gas industry) throughout the Scenic Rim. The poet and conservation activist Judith Wright, one of the co-founders of WIldlife Queensland in 1962, lived in our district for about 30 years, so it is fitting that we are now in the electorate of Wright and also that we have contemporary published poets who write on wildlife themes within our current membership.

2012 is the 50th Anniversary of Wildlife Queensland, and we have good reason to celebrate it here in the Scenic Rim, where co-founder, president and patron Judith Wright lived for many years (on Tamborine Mountains) and wrote many of her poems, and where the early Spring Schools were held (at Binna Burra)
A major celebration this year will be the Wild Poetry evening, featuring Judith Wright's life and poetry, and wildlife-related poetry by some of our present-day published poets, at the Centre, Beaudesert, Saturday evening 2nd June. Sandra Temple's wonderful wildlife paintings will also be on display.
Click here for details of this and other coming events

The Scenic Rim is part of Australia's third most bio-diverse region, and with many habitats supporting a wonderful array of wildlife.
Our primary aims are essentially to:

• Enhance the awareness of local residents and others of the wonderful diversity of wildlife in our region, the fascinating behaviours and ecological interactions they display, and the curious, appealing and simply beautiful and appearance of so many
• Promote an understanding of the needs of wildlife in our region and what can be done by individuals, governments and businesses to ensure their survival well into the future.

Our major theme for the past few months has been and for a while will continue to be Animals Have to Move. Conservation is not as simple as just putting a fence around a reserve or legally protecting species: their travel needs can complicate efforts at conservation management

Let us know also if you would like to be involved in field surveys, as up-to-date accurate information is essential for effective conservation management needs, or if you have any content (wildlife observations, educational links ...) you would like to contribute to these pages.

You may also like to join WPSQ and become a formal member of our branch.

Non-members are welcome to our meetings and excursions. Let us know if you'd like to be on our mailing list for meetings and outings and general electronic discussion of wildlife and its conservation.

One of our major activities late 2011 and throughout 2012 is the compilation of information on wildlife along the proposed route of the CSG pipeline.

See Fauna of the CSG Pipeline Route for details

Geographically, the 'Scenic Rim' refers to an arc of mountainous regions just over 100km south and west of Brisbane, adjoining the NSW border to the south and meeting the Gold Coast to the east.

Formed by three ancient volcanoes, it has rich soils and varied topography and is one of the most species-rich regions of Australia.

The Scenic Rim Shire encompasses most of this region except for the more northerly areas (Ipswich and Toowoomba councils), plus low-lying country enclosed in the arc, and includes Beuadesert, Boonah, Tamborine Mountain, Lamington National Park and other areas as shown on the Scenic Rim Map.