Author Archives: fobif

What’s happening up at Morgan’s Track?

Posted on 9 July, 2011 by fobif

The rather sad sign below is a marker on Morgan’s Track Chewton of the Ecological Thinnings Trial conducted by Parks Victoria beginning in 2003. The trial was proposed by the Environment Conservation Council when it recommended the establishment of new … Continue reading →

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Mount Alexander environment officer: an update

Posted on 9 July, 2011 by fobif

We have received a response from the Mount Alexander Shire to our budget submission on the appointment of a ‘Natural resource officer’ [see post June 3  ]. We had expressed concern that the position was a six month only appointment. … Continue reading →

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Lichens galore

Posted on 4 July, 2011 by fobif

One feature of the relatively good rains we’ve had in the last year or so has been the great shows of lichens. Lichens are partnerships between a fungus and an alga. The algal partner enables the organism to use photosynthesis … Continue reading →

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Is is a bird? No, it’s a plane

Posted on 1 July, 2011 by fobif

Views can be a wonderful experience, but a double edged one: a house may offer a magnificent view of a nearby hill, but a person sitting on that hill may not be pleased by having to look at the house … Continue reading →

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Fire history: filling in the facts

Posted on 29 June, 2011 by fobif

The Victorian National Parks Association has released a graph showing the control burn and bushfire history of Victoria in the last 75 years. The graph is based on Forest Commission and Parliamentary records, and can be seen with explanatory comments … Continue reading →

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Touch base with the changing world

Posted on 29 June, 2011 by fobif

The blogroll on the right of this page is an indicator of the intense local interest in happenings in the natural world. We would be the first to admit that you can spend too much time in front of a … Continue reading →

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Hakeas: can a good thing be a bad thing?

Posted on 28 June, 2011 by fobif

Visitors to local bushlands will have noticed the widespread flowering of our beautiful local Hakea [H. decurrens, or ‘bushy needlewood’—see picture below], which was particularly proliferating in the south end of the Diggings Park visited by our walking group on … Continue reading →

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Kalimna Tourist Road: how wide is wide enough?

Posted on 28 June, 2011 by fobif

Members strolling in Kalimna recently will have noticed that maintenance work on the Tourist road has just been completed. The works were much needed, because wear and tear, plus water damage after heavy rains, had corrugated and rutted the road. … Continue reading →

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Floods and vegetation: a voice from the 1930s

Posted on 26 June, 2011 by fobif

In the light of the odd angry shot fired earlier this year at conservation works along our creeks, it is interesting to read a letter in the June issue of the Castlemaine Historical Society Newsletter. The letter, dated 25/9/1934, was … Continue reading →

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An abundance of Greenhoods

Posted on 24 June, 2011 by fobif

We are likely to have an exceptional few months of orchids this year. Hundreds of Nodding Greenhood rosettes can already be seen. An early flowering type is the Tall Greenhood Pterostylis longifolia, pictured here. Photos of other local Greenhoods can be viewed in … Continue reading →

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