Warby-Ovens National Park

Warby-Ovens National Park is a stunning national park located in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, near Killawara.

It covers 14,655 hectares of land and takes its name from the Warby Ranges and the Ovens River. The park was initially reserved as a state park in 1978 and declared a national park in June 2010.

The national park is known for its unique and diverse range of flora, with almost 500 species of native plants, including 23 threatened species. It contains twelve ecological vegetation classes, eight of which are classified as vulnerable or endangered within the Northern Inland Slopes bioregion. The most prominent ecological vegetation class is Box-Ironbark Forest, constituting twenty-seven percent of the park. Other vegetation classes include Healthy Dry Forest and Granitic Hill Woodland.

Warby-Ovens National Park is home to a diverse range of fauna, including vulnerable and endangered species. Native species include the Squirrel glider, Grey-crowned Babbler, Painted Honeyeater, Regent Honeyeater, and Swift Parrot. These species are at high risk of habitat loss.

The park faces environmental threats such as fire, pests, invasive species, habitat fragmentation, and disease. Roads running through the park fragment the habitat and increase the likelihood of collisions between vehicles and wildlife. The spread of the soil-borne plant disease Phytophthora cinnamomi is also a concern.

The management of Warby-Ovens National Park is conducted by Parks Victoria, in collaboration with other governmental organizations. Efforts are made to protect remnant vegetation on private land and to control pest animals and plants. Visitor activities are managed to minimize their impact on the flora and fauna