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There are over 100 varieties of trees in Hotham Park and many of them are well over a hundred years old.
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were planted when Queen Victoria was alive; when explorers were scouring
the four corners of the earth looking for unusual plants and trees
and bringing them back to England.
It was a time when many of the ships still used sails and the wind to transport them and a journey to China or Australia meant travelling around the coast of Africa and crossing treacherous seas, taking many weeks to reach their destination. Whilst walking round the Park, look for the sterile chestnut and the cork oak and the sequoias, both evergreen and deciduous. The squirrels are so tame that if you stand for a moment you will be approached in case you have brought some food. Sometimes they will come right up to your outstretched hand and very gently take the food. The tall, stately trees in the Park attract all sorts of birds. Some have been forced into towns because of lack of food and shelter in the countryside. The Trust has put up many squirrel and woodpecker-proof nest boxes for the smaller birds, and these will be in use in Spring. Early in the morning and at dusk you may have the pleasure of watching rabbits feeding and running around; and also at dusk, look out for bats flitting around the ornamental pond. |
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