Dr. Mary White is the owner of Falls Forest Retreat, a property located near Johns River, approximately halfway between Taree and Port Macquarie. The property was purchased due to its high level of biodiversity with the intent of making the property a private nature reserve. Dr White has seen 74 of the 80 hectares of land protected in-perpetuity by a Voluntary Conservation Agreement
The sanctuary is situated in a private valley at the foot of Middle Brother Mountain, with the surrounding forest joining the property with hills and the Middle Brother National Park. Jerrys Creek, a tributary of Stewarts River, runs through the pockets of rainforest.
There is great biodiversity of flora, fauna, and fungi present within the sanctuary, with red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) in the valley, platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in the river, and a number of rare and endangered frogs and plants found throughout the property. Birdlife is also exceptionally abundant.
