The 2012 Peaks to Points Festival Program is out! Read all about the events we have planned, including bird walks, bush walks, workshops, bus tours, and heaps of other eco-activities!
Toohey Forest Park is the largest forest park on the south side of Brisbane, within the city limits. As such, it provides a vital refuge for native flora and fauna, and is an important educational area for the city’s residents.
The vegetation of Toohey Forest is particularly noteworthy because of the species combinations, especially in the shrub layer. Toohey Forest contains a mixture of species from both the coastal lowland and sub-coastal upland plant communities of south east Queensland. There are a number of common species shared both with communities on the Moreton Bay sand islands, and with forested areas within Brisbane Forest Park on the D’Aguilar ranges. A different set of common species is shared with each of these areas and Toohey Forest.
The area is significant as a good representation of sandstone vegetation with stringybarks, which are uncommon in the region. Grass trees are widespread on sandstone areas. The rare plunkett mallee has also been found in two locations in the park. For an area in such close proximity to the centre of a major city, there is also an unusually high diversity of arboreal mammals.
The park occupies the slopes of Toohey Mountain (125 metres) and the hills between Toohey Mountain and Mount Gravatt. It includes the headwaters of Norman, Oxley and Bulimba creeks. The central and major part of Toohey Forest is drained by Mimosa Creek, a tributary of Bulimba.
Toohey Forest is also home to many forest and woodland birds, two possum species, three species of glider, lizards, carpet pythons, frogs and at least three species of bat.