Author Archives: fobif

The State Government’s Improving our waterways: Victorian waterway management  strategy is now out. The important background to this document is that Catchment Management Authorities have had staff cutbacks of around 25%, and DEPI hasn’t done much better. The Strategy is … Continue reading →

The opening event for Connecting Country’s 2014 education program will be a talk by Ian Lunt, Associate Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at Charles Sturt University, Albury. His topic is “Natural regeneration in central Victoria: the biggest positive change … Continue reading →

Forget about that dream cruise on the Rhine, past turreted castles built by German madmen. What about a trip from Lake Weroona in Bendigo down to the sea at Portland, on a first class steamer along a noble canal? Such … Continue reading →

The Wellsford Forest is about 15 kilometres NE of Bendigo. The Bendigo and District Environment Council is holding a forum on the future of this forest on February 6. Speakers include Rod Orr (Bendigo Field Naturalists) on the Values of … Continue reading →

Chilean needle grass is one of our nastier weeds. It can reduce pasture productivity by up to 50%, and its sharp seeds can injure stock and downgrade the quality of wool and hides.  And, like all good weeds, it can … Continue reading →

The poet Les Murray has made the interesting observation that ‘the kangaroo has never heard of Australia.’ The point being that animals don’t see things the way we do. Nowhere is this more evident on a daily basis than on … Continue reading →

The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group (TCCG)  now has 3 new videos on their website: Cactus Warriors: Who We Are; Cactus: Tackling the Problem and Cactus Warriors: the Wheel Cactus. The videos feature Ian Grenda, President of the TCCG, and  run … Continue reading →

When John Ellis and Marie lifted the top of their BBQ recently they exposed an impressive construction. A mud wasp had built a nest with cubicles and it was filled with live, paralysed prey for its larvae to feed on. … Continue reading →

Summer: it’s a time when the bush can look stressed and under siege—but also when it can offer some pretty good sights, especially in the late afternoon or early in the morning. Clouds of butterflies around flowering  bursaria come to … Continue reading →