Kristen Turley and Holly Kercheval are the owners of Creative Vibe Tribe Sanctuary, a property situated in Stonyford, approximately 80km east of Warnambool, Victoria. The property is an off-grid residence featuring several small houses for tourist accommodation. Kristen and Holly plan to regenerate the property for the benefit of wildlife while educating guests about local native species. Along with regenerative planting of blackwood and manna gums, the owners plan to build habitat around the established birdbaths for native species.
The property covers approximately 4.1 hectares and features a main dwelling and several small houses for tourists, as well as permaculture gardens. One half of the property is comprised of remnant bushland on rocky volcanic soil.
Vegetation is comprised of manna gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) woodland featuring blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), dogwood (Cornus spp.), bracken fern (Pteridium esculentum), kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra), native raspberries (Rubus parvifolius), kangaroo apple (Solanum aviculare), bidgee-widgee (Acaena anserinifolia), moss, lichen and fungi.
Wildlife present includes eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), eastern blue-tongued lizards (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides), tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus), copperheads (Austrelaps spp.), skinks, common brown butterflies (Heteronympha merope), dragonflies and a wide variety of native frogs.
Birdlife is abundant, featuring tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides), southern boobooks (Ninox boobook), sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita), superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus), laughing kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae), hawks, eagles, kingfishers, crows (Corvus orru), magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen), galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla), eastern (Platycercus eximius) and crimson (Platycercus elegans) rosellas, grey shrike thrushes (Colluricincla harmonica) and wood ducks (Chenonetta jubata). Migratory wetland birds also visit the sanctuary for water.
