Category Archives: News

Coliban channel walk is now a fire zone

Users of FOBIF’s guide to Twenty bushwalks in the Mount Alexander region should be aware that the amenity of Walk 13 has been affected by this year’s Management fire. The section of this walk between Old Coach Road and Dearden … Continue reading

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Some less depressing stuff

As we’ve noted before, it’s worth taking a prowl around Department burns, just to observe what happens in the aftermath of a fire. Of course, you need to be careful: as we’ve pointed out, these fires tend to make trees … Continue reading

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FOBIF and Forest Fire management: a list of differences

FOBIF and Castlemaine Field Naturalists representatives met with fire officers in the Fryers Forest in February to discuss differences of opinion about fire. The discussion was lengthy and clarified [again] the difference in outlook of the two groups. The following … Continue reading

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FOBIF’s May walk: to the Res and back

Our May walk next Sunday starts at the Monster Meeting site on Golden Point Road and follows the Forest Creek Track from Chewton to Expedition Pass Reservoir (Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park). We’ll meet at the Community House as usual … Continue reading

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Stunning walk along the Loddon

Walking north along the eastern bank of the Loddon River near Baringhup through stunning redgum trees on a beautiful sunny day, a sizable group heard stories of geology, Indigenous occupation, farming, hydrology, architecture, and natural history. Contributions to these stories … Continue reading

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The botanical life of a plant punk, and the story of a seaweed

The guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists will be Professor Tim Entwisle. Professor Entwisle is an author, botanist and former director of botanic gardens in Melbourne, Sydney and London. He also lived for a few … Continue reading

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FOBIF walk, 21 April 2024

Loddon River, Baringhup: walk along stories Walking along the Loddon River for 8 km, we go north from Baringhup. It is on public and private land with a mix of natural, cultural and historical layers. Traversing farmland and the edge … Continue reading

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One for the Ages

A strong group took on FOBIF’s first walk for the year yesterday, to the Rock of Ages in the Nuggety Ranges. The recent dry weather has given the hills a real feel of late summer dustiness, but in this context … Continue reading

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’40 degrees and 40 illegal fires on Victoria’s long weekend’!

Here’s a press release from the Conservation Regulator this week: ‘Conservation Regulator and Forest Fire Management Victoria Authorised Officers patrolled campsites statewide and detected more than 40 campfires still alight during a Total Fire Ban, a number that could have … Continue reading

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Moron of the century–new nomination in!

Readers will remember FOBIF’s occasional tilt at one of Australia’s weirdest windmills: the car commercial. We doubt whether the advertising industry will ever invent a more cretinous TV ad than AAMI’s attempt to persuade us that children should prefer to … Continue reading

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