North Head Sanctuary

North Head Sanctuary features the largest remaining area of the Critically Endangered ecological community known as Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (ESBS). This ecological community occurs only in the Sydney Basin Bioregion, with just 3% remaining, largely due to historical land clearing. Additionally, the headland harbours two threatened plant species: Acacia terminalis subsp. Eastern Sydney (Sunshine Wattle) and Eucalyptus camfieldii (Camfield's Stringybark). AEP are responsible for monitoring the health of these threatened entities and their habitat, including regeneration progress following a large fire at North Head in 2020. In addition to ESBS, the wider headland also supports heathland, littoral rainforest, and wetland habitats, providing habitat and resources for many native species of wildlife.

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North Head is also home to an Endangered population of Long-nosed Bandicoots (Perameles nasuta), which has been identified as genetically distinct due to the isolated nature of North Head’s bushland. In coordination with National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), an annual cage trapping survey is conducted to gather data that helps monitor and restore the population to a healthy level. Several reintroductions of locally extinct native species have been performed in recent years, including the Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes), Brown Antechinus (Antechinus stuartii), and Eastern Pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus). AEP use several survey methods to assess signs of breeding and population expansion across the headland from their release sites, including Elliott trapping, nest box monitoring, and camera trapping.