Naturalist on the Bibbulmun: A walking companion

by Leigh W. Simmons

The Bibbulmun Track is a World class walking trail that runs just over 1000km through the forests and across the coastal heaths of southwestern Western Australia, from the towns of Kalamunda in the North to Albany in the South.

Naturalist on the Bibbulmun is the story of one man’s journey with his son through this ancient and extraordinary corner of the world. The biodiversity is so extensive that it is impossible to provide a comprehensive field guide to the Bibbulmun Track. Nevertheless, the author musters his expertise in ecology and evolutionary biology to document the animals and plants found during the Noongar seasons of kambarang and birak, from November to January, with colour photographs throughout. In so doing we learn how evolution has shaped the extraordinary diversity of animals and plants in this corner of the World, the important roles biodiversity plays in providing the stable ecosystem in which we live and prosper, and the serious impacts to that stability imposed by our increasing overexploitation of what is an ancient and fragile landscape.

Naturalist on the Bibbulmun is both a witness statement of the current state of the natural regions of southwestern WA, and a call to arms to protect for our future generations what little remains of one of the world’s most extraordinary natural habitats.

291 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading for anyone who wants to explore the Bibbulmun Track. Fascinating explanations of the animals, insects and plants that make up the ecosystems around it. Needs an ebook version for hikers!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrative of author's walk on the Bibbulmun in summer noting flora and fauna.

[Jessie Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool naturalist’s companion to hiking the Bibbulmun. Interesting for anyone who hikes in SW WA.