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At Pinkerton Forest in Mount Cottrell, on Melbourne’s western edge, we’re walking through one of the last remaining patches of grassy woodland in this part of the state.

In this episode of Finding Melbourne’s Nature, I sit down with Daryl Akers, who’s been closely involved in caring for this reserve over many years.

We talk about what this place once was, a much larger landscape of woodland and grassland, and what’s left now.

As we walk through the site, Daryl shares the story of the forest’s recovery. Old grey box trees, some hundreds of years old, natural regeneration starting to come through, and the steady work of removing weeds and rebuilding the understory.

We also talk about what’s at stake. Ongoing development across Melbourne’s west, the loss of habitat, and the role small patches like this play as refuges for wildlife.

It’s a quiet place, but there’s a lot going on. Birds of prey overhead, hollows being fought over, kangaroos moving in as surrounding land changes.

And behind it all, a small group of volunteers doing the long, steady work of keeping it going.