The swamps of the Fleurieu Peninsula are special ecosystems and are mainly found in the Mount Compass area, around Yundi and Finniss. Less than 4% of the Fleurieu Peninsula's swamps remain. The Mount Compass swamps are among them. We need to value and protect those that remain in our area.

These swamps are characterised by having permanently waterlogged soils and therefore provide a home for many endangered and rare native flora and fauna. For example, the Mount Lofty Ranges Southern Emu Wren is one of these rare and endangered species that can be found in and around the Fleurieu Swamps environments.

Swamps are also important as water filters to remove pollutants from stormwater and help with flood control as they can absorb large amounts of water and provide critical refuge for threatened flora and fauna.

If you would like to learn more about the importance of our local Fleurieu Swamps, we recommend you visit the two wetlands in Mount Compass .

Mount Compass School Swamp Boardwalk

The Mount Compass School Swamp is a freshwater swamp dominated by dense shrubby vegetation. The 500m boardwalk provides safe, easy access to the swamp, meandering through the shrub vegetation, over both wet and dry areas.

The boardwalk is maintained by the Mount Compass Area School, with the support from Alexandrina Council.

For further information and see a bird list for the Mount Compass School Swamp, visit the Birds SA website.

Mount Compass Wetlands

The Mount Compass Wetlands comprise of a 730 metres long boardwalk over a swamp on the outskirts of Mount Compass. This small but important wetland contains many rare, vulnerable and endangered plants. Over 100 plants have been identified in the swamp. The wetlands can be viewed from a wooden rotunda, which also contains useful information on the unique plants and animals.

More information is available on the Mount Compass Wetlands page.