Oak Park
Oak Park Reserve covers 149 hectares and the site has several gnammas, some of which have a volume up to 1.95m3. Gnammas were a life-giving source of water for Noongars, for more information on gnammas see the Wheatbelt Science Trail.
The name for Oak Park is derived from the Swamp she-oak (Casuarina obesa) which grows in abundance here. She-oak foliage is made up of fine-ridged branches or branchlets. They have very little water loss and their branchlets also form a dense mulch underneath the tree which further reduces water loss, protects the soil and suppresses weeds.
Follow the Interpretive Walk Trail around the corner and stop to listen to the eerie sound. When the wind blows around the cylindrical branchlets of the She-oak it forms a vortex on the other side, which drifts away from the branchlet before breaking loose. Meanwhile another vortex is forming on the other side of the branchlet. This train of vortices causes a rhythmic pattern - when the wind is faster the vortices form faster and the pitch rises.
She-oaks are called kwel in Noongar, and this distinctive sound is said to be the spirits of Ancestors speaking, which was used as a gentle way to lull babies to sleep. It’s very relaxing - stop and be in the moment.
This site is part of the Wheatbelt Science Trail and GeoTrail, you can find more information or other sites of interest across the region on the map.
The Cache
The cache is a small PVC tube hidden in a hollow log just off the trail