Discover our natural environment. Our campuses play host to a number of natural environments, and play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity in South-East Queensland.
Griffith University's Biodiversity Action Group has been working to document the variety of living things that call our campuses home. Within Griffith's Sustainability Plan, the University has committed to numerous goals that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. This includes strategies aligned with the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. One of the primary strategies is supporting rich and healthy biodiversity at Griffith through an array of approaches that reduce threatening processes impacting our wild species such as greenhouse gas emission, pollution and land-clearing. All of this while using our campuses for world-class education that has sustainability at its core.
Our Biodiverse Griffith portal takes our visitors, students and staff on a virtual tour of the University's natural heritage; our biodiversity, and what we are doing to celebrate, maintain and enhance it. Come take a look.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to preserving life below water and life on land, working to protect marine ecosystems and terrestrial biodiversity, ensuring a sustainable and biodiverse future for all.
First Nations
Griffith University believes strongly within its core values our position as stewards maintaining the remarkable co-management and environmental sustainability Aboriginal people engineered as traditional farming practices over tens of thousands of years within each of our individual campuses: Brisbane City (Southbank), Brisbane South (Nathan), Brisbane South (Mt Gravatt), Logan, and Gold Coast. Aboriginal people co-existing within the natural heritage in cultivating the landscape via complex kinship systems as to make those resources abundant in building a thriving ecological system of biodiversity within each campus.
We now have a responsibility as Griffith University to protect, restore and enhance this biodiversity within each individual campus and ecosystems to protect these significant conservation values in appreciation of the resources provided by Aboriginal people, and protect not only the beautiful environment, but the world view we have inherited well into the future. This wealth of natural heritage embedded within Aboriginal knowledges also provides many opportunities for promoting appreciation of biodiversity values and conservation to staff, students, and the broader community as well as strong collaborative partnerships in conservation and sustainability with a range of stakeholders, e.g., local and state government, community organisations and industry partners and most importantly traditional Aboriginal knowledge keepers.
This website may contain the names and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased. It also contains links to sites that may use images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased.
Gold Coast Resources
Situated in the coastal lowlands of South East Queensland, Griffith University's Gold Coast campus contains important remnant ecosystems as well as beautiful displays of native plants across the gardens illustrating the power of green solutions for cities.
There are more than 578 species of plants on campus of which 224 are native to the swamp paperbark wetlands and endangered blackbutt forest, while 247 native species/cultivars are grown across 9 ha of gardens including 22 species of threatened plants. Across the whole campus over 140 species of birds, mammals, frogs and reptiles can be found along with numerous freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates. This includes five species of threatened animals including Koala and Glossy Black Cockatoo.
Brisbane South (Nathan) Resources
Situated in the dry eucalyptus forest typical of ridges and hills in South East Queensland, Brisbane South (Nathan) is nestled amongst the natural ecosystems of the Toohey Forest Park and Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve.
The forested campus contains over 610 species of plants of which 467 are native to the site. Within this rich forest environment, over 190 birds, mammals, frogs and reptiles and numerous freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates make a home. The native ecosystems that exist on this campus are astounding and are a testament to the many people who have fought hard over decades to protect the Toohey Forest area of outstanding natural beauty for the future.
Brisbane South (Nathan) Species (XLSX)
BioCondition Report Brisbane South (Nathan)
Field Based Forest Carbon Assessment Brisbane South (Nathan)
Logan Resources
Situated in cleared remnants of an old dairy farm in Meadowbrook, Griffith University's Logan campus is at first, seemingly a green desert compared to the rich forests and landscaping of the Gold Coast and Nathan campuses.
The flatland campus however may surprise you in that it contains over 220 species of plants of which 165 are native to the site. Within this relatively rich floristic environment of landscaped areas, open fields, lakes and a newly-planted native arboretum, over 70 birds, mammals, frogs and reptiles have been recently identified here with many more expected to be discovered in the coming years as the campus rehabilitates into its pre-clearing glory!
Field Based Forest Carbon Logan
Biodiversity books produced by Griffith University
Campus flow-through
Take a virtual tour of the biodiversity values of the Logan campus. Learn about our brand new arboretum, the rehabilitation of Slacks Creek with Logan City Council, the Logan LEAF Festival, the importance of urban lakes and wetlands, carbon sequestration projects and an ancient Macadamia tree older than the campus itself!
Climate Action
Griffith’s Climate Action Beacon seeks to develop the knowledge, leadership, capacity and responses to enable effective and just climate action throughout society.
Biodiversity and conservation research: on land
Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security
Native plants on the Gold Coast
Griffith University is proud to showcase many beautiful and endangered local native plant species on its campuses. There are more than 370 plant species – and just four that aren't native – across our 28 hectare Gold Coast campus. Professor Catherine Pickering is a botanist who co-designed the landscaping at the Gold Coast. Here, Professor Pickering highlights some of the key native plant species you can find on the Coast.
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Get in touch
Do you have an idea that you'd like to share with our Biodiversity Action Group? Like to get involved in our Bioblitz?