Yarran Dheran Information Centre

Opening Hours: Sundays 2:00pm to 4:00pm (subject to volunteer availability)

The Yarran Dheran Information Centre is the hub of the reserve, offering a friendly place to learn more about the bushland, its wildlife and the history of the Mullum Mullum Valley and where our knowledgeable volunteers can assist you in providing information and to find the resources you are looking for. Located near the main Ashburton Drive entrance, it’s usually open on Sunday afternoons with the exception of Total Fire Ban days.

Volunteer
Events
 

Facilities Around the Centre

  • Nearby facilities include toilets, drinking water, picnic tables and lawn areas, making it an easy gathering spot for families and groups.

  • From the Information Centre you can quickly access the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail and the network of bush tracks that loop through different vegetation types and along the creek.

What’s Inside

  • Visual displays, posters and maps that explain the local plants, animals, geology and cultural history.

  • Brochures and printed guides to help you choose walking tracks, spot wildlife and understand key features like the wetlands and creek.

  • A collection of information and displays that’s especially engaging for children and first‑time visitors.

  • A digital microscope to examine local specimens!

What You Can Do There

  • Ask Questions - Talk to volunteers about the reserve, seasonal highlights and current track conditions, or get tips on the best walks for your time and fitness level.

  • Find details of upcoming environmental events, guided walks, talks and working bees run in and around the reserve.

  • Meet your friends - Use the Information Centre as a meeting point for school or community excursions, with nature‑focused education sessions often starting nearby.

  • Digital Microscope – Examine insects, leaves, spiders, moths and other small wonders from the reserve. Discover intricate wing patterns, pollen-carrying hairs on bees, segmented ant bodies, delicate leaf veins, and the textures of bark, lichen and soil. Magnification reveals details that books alone cannot show, transforming familiar objects into extraordinary discoveries.

    Suitable for children and adults, this experience encourages curiosity, careful observation, and shared discovery.

Brochures Available

  • Welcome to Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve – to find out about the general features of the Reserve, includes a map of the tracks

  • Birds of Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve – A Guide for Birdwatchers Use this guide as a record of the birds you see at Yarran Dheran   

  • Butterflies of Yarran Dheran– an introduction

  • How to create stepping stones for wildlife  - How your garden can create stepping stones for  wildlife

  • Educational Posters – Learn about the local ecosystems of Whitehorse, featuring birds, wildflowers, insects, butterflies, waterbirds and other wildlife. Our free posters describe how species interact, rely on one another, and contribute to the health of their habitats, linking your close-up observations to the broader natural world.

Visitor center at Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve surrounded by trees, with a stone exterior, glass door, and a wooden & metal roof. Pathway leads into the reserve.
Indoor display with a large, twisted wooden branch mounted on a brick wall, featuring model animals including a bear, a wolf, and various birds. Informational signs are in front of the display.
A display case containing bird nests and dry plant material against a stone wall background.
Taxidermy display of a small, furry mammal resembling a marten on a large tree branch, with a similar animal on the branch's other side, and a partial view of an informational sign about birds.
Yellow sign with green and purple text reading 'Information Centre Open, Visitors Welcome' placed on concrete in a natural outdoor setting with trees and shrubs in the background.
A scientific microscope positioned over a petri dish, connected to power outlets on a wooden panel in a laboratory setting.
A bat hanging upside down from a wooden ceiling.
Display case with bird nests and dried plants against a brick wall at a nature exhibit.
Informational sign about birds in Yarran Dheran featuring images of various bird species, including a Rainbow Lorikeet, Red-browed Finch, Eastern Spinebill, Grey Butcherbird, and others, with text describing bird habitats and behaviors.
A bat with fur hanging upside down from a wooden ceiling, attached to a bat-shaped ornament, in a wood-paneled room.
Two visitors looking at a display of mounted animals and informational signs inside a museum or nature center.
A laboratory setup with a Petri dish on a turntable, illuminated by a light from a microscope, and a microscope positioned above it.
A microscope lab setup with a lighted petri dish on a rotating platform, labeled 'MicroEye Discovery,' on a wooden table against a gray wall with electrical outlets.
A brown owl perched on a curved branch with a stone wall and wooden ceiling in the background.
Display of various feathers and a small Australian flag on a table at an educational or cultural exhibit.
Educational display with butterfly specimens, rocks, and informational posters about butterflies and nature conservation at Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve.
Taxidermy of a beaver on display at a museum exhibit, with plants and informational signs surrounding it.
A taxidermy or model of a bearcat or binturong placed on a curved piece of wood against a stone wall background.
Color-coded containers with rolled-up papers, labeled with different categories, placed on a counter against a stone wall.
Display of various feathers and a small flag on a table in a classroom or exhibit setting.
Display case with bird nests and eggs, surrounded by informational posters and natural decorations, on a black metal stand in front of a stone wall.
Large bird of prey, possibly an owl, perched on a curved gray branch against a stone wall and wooden ceiling.