New! New Flora and Fauna of the Month! Featured Monthly at the bottom of this page, interesting facts about our Jarrah forest and the local flora and fauna. Did you know our native marsupial, the Woylie is a truffle hunter? The Stone Truffle (Mesophellia species) is a important food source for some of our forest mammals. GUIDED FOREST TOURS THROUGH THE JARRAH FOREST TO FINE WOOD Do you belong to a social group or organisation that enjoys taking a day trip to somewhere incredibly interesting? The Forest Heritage Centre could be just the place you are looking for. Built from the local rammed earth in the shape of three gum leaves each representing a different aspect of the jarrah forest. The Australian School of Fine Wood located in the largest leaf offers a two year full time Diploma of Art- Furniture Design course. Watching and talking to our students will give you an insight into the furniture designers and makers of tomorrow. Click here for our educational tours. The Fine Wood Gallery offers you a cross section of many West Australian craftsman and furniture makers art, as well as pieces designed and constructed by our students. The Jarrah forest is a place of great wonder, there is always something flowering. Forest Tours can be designed to show off the Jarrah and Marri forest at its flowering best in late winter and spring, when our orchids and australian native wildflowers are in full bloom. The Yokine Binda wildflower trail established by our dedicated volunteers mark many of the flowering and interesting flora located on the trails. Our forest guides can provide that special focus to suit your needs. A forest guided visit to an active jarrah saw mill will demonstrate the changes from our historic past. The Aboriginal trail unlocks some of the secrets from our indigenous heritage. TO COMPLIMENT YOUR TOUR Make it a ‘Day out in Dwellingup’ by combining your tour of the Forest Heritage Centre with a visit to the Visitor Information Centre, a ride on the historic Hotham Valley steam train or having a meal at either the Dwellingup Community Hotel, Dwellingup Café or Touch of Aroma. Cross the dam wall at South Dandalup dam. In and around Dwellingup you will find many picnic spots where you can sit and enjoy the peaceful Jarrah forest.

Jarrah Forest Flora and Fauna of the Month! The Marri Tree. Kingdom: Plants Family: Myrataceae Corymbia calophylla Marri The Forest Heritage Centre in Dwellingup is situated amongst the South West Australia Forest and the the Marri species is our one of our local Australian gum trees. This large Eucalyptus tree grows to a height of about 40 metres and this widespread species can grow readily in our poorer soils. We offer guided tours at the Forest Heritage Centre, Dwellingup, and part of the tour is to recognise the difference between the Marri and Jarrah trees. The Marri has a condensed fish scale like looking bark and large gum nuts whereas the Jarrah has a long skinny bark and small 'honkey nuts'. Flowering Marri are a beautiful sight with their yellow cream coloured flowers,the golden honey produced by bees from these flowers has a wonderful mellow taste. The wood of the Marri is used quite a lot in Furniture Making and has a golden glow, to this light coloured wood. West Australia has Guitar makers that utilise this wood for their impressive instruments, West Australian Ellis Guitars make some of the best quality instruments in the world and some of these are used by renowned artists including Jeff Martin to Blues singer songwriter Ash Grunwald,(who plays a mean Ellis Stompbox, by the way!). Artists are inspired by the Marri, its flowers nuts and fruits, and one architectural designed grates featured at Karrakatta cementary uses interpretations of the Marri's gum nuts and flowers. The local aboriginal Noongyar tribe used the red gum of the Marri Tree for medicinal purposes including helping with tummy upsets and various aches and pains. An old Bushmans Tale quotes that if the Marri (Redgum) flowers profusely then Western Australia is in for a good winter e.g. cold, rainy, windy, icy, stormy, winter. This tree along with other Australian Flora and Fauna can be viewed when you walk our Jarrah/Marri forest and our Canopy tree top walk at the Forest Heritage Centre, Dwellingup. Hope to see you soon! If you have any amazing Facts or Questions about this or any other forest flora and fauna that we can update our page with, please feel free to email 'Dana' web@forestheritagecentre.com.au or write them in the text box below.

Flowers of the Marri.

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