Everlasting Swamp National Park

Park management activities

Understanding landscapes and geology

To restore Everlasting Swamp’s natural cycles, we must first know how the original wetland worked. We’re studying the complex ways its waters behave over time and under different conditions, and considering future sea level rise and climate change. We’re changing drainage and planting thousands of trees to give the over-drained wetland’s fragile soils a chance to recover.

Preserving biodiversity

Everlasting Swamp National Park is a refuge for 26 threatened species and a haven for water birds in droughts. The park also protects a rare grouping of native plants called Coastal Floodplain Wetlands. To restore this plant community, including endangered species of rushes, we plant trees and species found only locally. We’ve also improved the wetland’s ability to be a nursery for prawns and fish to support a healthy Clarence River fishery.

Managing animals, weeds and pests

We fence some areas of the wetland to keep new plantings safe from animals that would damage them. When planting, we disturb the fragile soil as little as possible to prevent weeds from getting a foothold. Water weeds, including water hyacinth, are a special challenge because they spread quickly after the wetland floods. Ongoing pig management programs help bird breeding success.

Preserving the park's historic heritage

At Everlasting Swamp National Park we preserve features from the wetland’s history to share them with you. Historic levees, water troughs, fence posts and a holding yard remind us of the landscape’s past use for cattle and crop farming.

Developing visitor facilities and experiences

We’re improving paddling, bird watching, fishing, cycling and bushwalking experiences. Our self-guided tour app is an ideal way for bird watchers to explore this biodiversity hotspot. We’ve added signage including a spot to ‘snap and share’ photos with us, so together we can record the wetland’s journey toward rejuvenation.