Author Archives: fobif

Fuel breaks: the story so far

Local enviro groups have been briefed on the progress of Strategic Fuel Breaks in the region. As with most things to do with fire and biodiversity management, the picture so far is patchy and its final effects hard to assess. … Continue reading

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What do we know, and where does it lead us?

On the subject of monitoring (see above), how do you decide whether to continue with a project you’ve been working on? Well, you probably check to see how successful you’ve been with your approach so far. On this, we offer … Continue reading

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At last!

To many people, it’s seemed like a wait of a million years. Now it’s over: Leon Costermans’s long awaited geology book is now available. Directed at anyone interested in our environment, the book is geologically accurate and written in accessible … Continue reading

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Houses, people, nature

In case you missed it: the Mount Alexander Shire is doing a housing and neighbourhood character study for the townships of Castlemaine, Campbells Creek and Chewton. It’s looking for your input. The date for submissions is Sunday November 6. You can … Continue reading

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Grevillea obtecta talk and walk cancelled

Castlemaine Field Naturalists have informed us that the planned Grevillea obtecta talk and investigation walk planned for tonight and tomorrow have unfortunately had to be cancelled. Readers looking around them will not be surprised to find that the reason for … Continue reading

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The way things used to be?

Here’s a good reason to make it into the Bendigo CBD: go to the library! OK, there are libraries elsewhere in the region, but the one in the CBD has a trump card right now. It’s an aquarium, more than … Continue reading

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It’s unique, it’s rare, it’s in our backyard: like to learn more about it?

The locally endemic Fryerstown Grevillea (Grevillea obtecta). is common in small areas of our region, but it’s not widespread and is subject to threats. This week the Castlemaine Field Naturalists are running two sessions encouraging citizens to participate in programs … Continue reading

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The importance of ‘invisible’ things

A strong turnout at FOBIF’s AGM last Monday heard a tantalising talk and photo presentation by Patrick Kavanagh  on things you can see through macro photography. The spectacular images of tiny creatures inhabiting our flora—and each other—underlined the importance to … Continue reading

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Slime moulds, orchids, wattles…

The biggest group of the year fronted grey skies and damp forecasts for FOBIF’s September walk in the Muckleford Nature Conservation Reserve yesterday. There was no lounging around in the sun, but walkers were rewarded with an experience of this … Continue reading

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Get in on the ground storey

Interested in digging a bit deeper into the ‘problem’ of leaf litter? Remember: it’s the stuff which is a fire risk, and should be cleaned up…or it’s the stuff which keeps moisture in the soil, and prevents erosion…or maybe it’s … Continue reading

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