Warwick Biggs is the owner of St Yves, a property located approximately 25km southwest of Cessnock. The property is a residence and dedicated wildlife sanctuary, and it is Warwick’s intent for it to continue to be managed for conservation.
The significant biodiversity values of St Yves are protected in-perpetuity by a Voluntary Conservation Agreement, and similarly-managed adjoining properties enhance habitat connectivity.
The sanctuary covers 9.5 hectares of elevated Hawkesbury sandstone country between Wollobi Brook and Corrobare State Forest, with vegetation types including mature dry and wet schlerophyll forest, and hanging swamp heathland featuring Grove’s paperbarks (Melaleuca groveana).
Wildlife species known to occur on St Yves include a variety of mammals such as short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) and ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) possums, yellow-bellied (Petaurus australis) and other gliders, three species of bat, a large variety of retiles and frogs, and more than 165 identified bird species.
