The bushland in Michael Eades Reserve and surrounds is rich in sensitive vegetation, unique to the upper Blue Mountainsplateau, in New South Wales, Australia. Many of the significant plants in the area, such as Acacia ptychoclada and Grevillea acanthifolia, do not appear anywhere else in the world.
Hanging swamps are an interesting feature of the Reserve and are defined not only by the unique plant life - sedges, grassesand shrubs - but also by the underlying geology. Layers of sandstone, claystone and shale direct groundwater to exit points on the valley walls, which feed the swamps on a continuous basis. These hanging swamps are the source of water for creeks and waterfalls in the upper Blue Mountains. In this Reserve, Katoomba Creek flows downstream into the World Heritage Siteof the Grose Valley.
Hanging swamps are home to many threatened and endangered animals: Blue Mountains Water Skink, Giant Dragonfly, and the Giant Burrowing Frog.
Community efforts to protect bushland in the Blue Mountains were supported by Michael Eades (1954–2002) after whom this Reserve is dedicated. Eades made a major contribution to a heightened awareness and understanding of the special and fragile natural environment of the Blue Mountains, which resulted in the recognition of environmentally sensitive land in Council's Land Environmental Plan 1991. Eades's work has also contributed significantly to the eventual federal government listing at a National level of the Blue Mountains Sedge and Shrub swamps.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Eades_Reserve