Bring some cash to win one of Bev Lewis’ beautiful stone lithographs.
$5 per ticket, 3 for $10
First prize gets first choice, 2nd prize second choice, 3rd prize the remaining print.
Pam Douglas died last month. She was a regular walker on FOBIF’s monthly walks since 2016, though ill health limited her participation this year.
Pam came to live in Castlemaine around then, and it became common to see her walking from her house in Grumont Street to the town, train station or library.
Pam told FOBIF walk leaders that she enjoyed and looked forward to the walks. She died alone, but we hope that the pleasure she took in the walks made a difference to her difficult life. Pam left no family connections; her affairs are in the hands of the Public Trustees, who will organise a funeral at a time and place to be announced.
Pam often commented on the FOBIF website about walks:
‘It was another fantastic walk, and the usual crowd e.g. Bernard, Bronwyn, etc. (and even myself, Pam), love our walks. Looking forward to the walking again with FOBIF next year.’ 2024
‘A very nice relaxing walk. Bernard’s sense of humour was greatly appreciated. The weather was hot and I love the goldfields forests.’ 2018
‘Beautiful walk & beautiful people.’ 2017
‘The best thing about Bells Swamp was going into the swamp. I loved walking around there in the swamp. I was surprised that Damien was only wearing sandals as the rest of us had gumboots. It was all a very good experience.’ 2016
Mount Korong Eco-Watch have been conducting a series of conversations among private landholders and others over a 10-month period about ecological practices of fire and their roles and uses in our landscapes. Conversations will be part of a community forum on September 13th in Inglewood. The aim is to explore the potential for establishing a sustainable process for sharing fire experiences and learning together for the benefit of ecosystems and communities.
Leaders of discussion at the forum will include Paul Foreman (Bluedevil Consulting/Biolinks Alliance), Terri Williams (landholder and teacher Bendigo TAFE), Oli Moraes (Galk-galk Dhelkunya Program Manager, Djaara), Peter Morison (conservationist), Karen Tymms (Trust for Nature), Dale Tonkinson (biodiversity officer CFA).
Bev Lewis; Anticlinal Fold
Bev Lewis, artist has donated some beautiful stone lithographs which we will raffle at our AGM, Monday 8th September, 6pm at the Castlemaine Senior Citizen’s, Mechanics Lane, Castlemaine. All welcome.
Event: talk by Tanya Loos: LIVING WITH WILDLIFE
Date & time: Monday 8th September, 6pm
Venue: Castlemaine Senior Citizens Centre, Mechanics Lane, Castlemaine.
Tanya Loos loves sharing nature knowledge about how to live more harmoniously with the animals that live where we live – and how our homes and backyards can be safe havens in a time of climate breakdown. Tanya believes there are simple steps we can take that are wildlife friendly and make sure your place is a haven.
Tanya lives in central Victoria and is passionate about wildlife and nature! In her presentations, Tanya loves drawing from ecological science to educate and inspire people to care about wildlife and wildlife habitat. She has worked as a Woodland Bird Project Coordinator for Connecting Country and Biodiversity Projects Officer for Macedon Ranges City Council – and at present she is Avian Influenza Response Coordinator at BirdLife Australia.
Tanya will be sharing her passion through an entertaining presentation at the Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests AGM at 6pm on Monday 8th September at the Castlemaine Senior Citizens Centre, Mechanics Lane, Castlemaine. This will be followed by a light supper and the opportunity to buy Tanya’s book ‘Living with wildlife’, FOBIFs excellent field guides and a raffle ticket for gorgeous lithographs of the anticlinal fold, hakea or banksia by local artist Bev Lewis.
Clive Willman
There will be a free presentation ‘Scientists on the goldfields, 170 years of geoscientific discoveries’ by leading geologist Clive Willman.
Venue: Northern Arts Hotel, 359 Barker St Castlemaine
Date: Wednesday 20th August
Time: 6.30pm
This will be repeat of the presentation given at ‘The Alchemy of Gold – the Golden Transformation of Victoria’ conference in May 2025.
This event is hosted by the ‘Castlemaine Society Inc’ (CASSOC), which will be holding its AGM at 6pm before the guest speaker at 6.30pm.
As part of the new Campbells Creek missing link project, Rob Law from Friends of Campbells Creek has created a ‘soundtrail’. It starts at the Forest Street entrance to the walk and continues through to the end at the Campbells Creek playground.
Living alongside the creek, Rob has noticed that since the missing link of the track was opened, there has been an increase in use. The increase has been at least a 600 per cent. The accompanying soundtrail was launched a couple of months ago and already scores of people are downloading and listening to it along the trail. Relevant signage along the creek is coming shortly.
Map showing the walk and where the recordings are triggered.
The technology used is a phone app called ‘soundtrails’ that you can download. As you walk along the trail, the app uses GPS to trigger the audio on your phone. Walkers can listen to stories about the creek, its ecology, history and values, as well sounds of nature from different times of day and spread throughout the year.
To operate the app, visit soundtrails.com.au/campbells-creek and download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play. You will need to use headphones. Once you are at either end of the track, just open the app.
“The goal of this project is to invite people down there to spend some time, getting to know it, slowing down and listening more deeply, rather than just passing through for exercise, because it’s much more than that. Through doing this project, I uncovered all of these amazing people who live here, who have some knowledge of the creek that is specific. There are a range of different perspectives as well, from children through to people that have been here their whole lives and are in their 80s, which gives that sense of how the place changes over time as well.
I’ve been down there a lot with my kids and their friends and spending time in their world and watching how for them, they are already very immersed in it, and we kind of have this separation, but they are very much in the place. I think that’s important for adults to think about how we relearn that, there is no boundary for them between their imaginative world and what we call the real world. Being able to tap into that sense of wonder that they have and we forget about as we become adults.”
(Rob Law quoted in the Midland Express 3/7/2025)
In a two minute recording on the app seven year old Ralph Maguire-Law explains the life cycle of the red eye cicadas that live along the creek.
Ever been irritated by the rubbish dumping thing? Of course, most people are—and most people wonder: what kind of person would dump rubbish in beautiful places like our bushlands?
But there’s another dimension to this problem: it starts at the source.
Plastic dominated rubbish pile at the Railway dam a few years ago. FOBIF has an extensive collection of photos of similar rubbish all over our region. Of course, dumpers are to blame, but the real problem starts at the production point.
Here are some fun facts: in 1950, the world produced 2 million tonnes of plastic. In 2022, the figure was 475 million tonnes; at present rates of increase, it will top 1000 million tonnes by 2060.
As if these figures weren’t bad enough, consider this: of the above quantities, 9% is recycled, about 50% ends in landfill, 19% is incinerated…and 22% slops around the planet, most dangerously in the oceans: it’s been estimated that 15 tonnes of plastic is dumped in the sea every minute!
And, of course, it’s hard not to notice that a large part of the stuff dumped in our bush is plastic.
How can such insanity persist? Guess what: it’s because plastic is ‘cheaper’ than alternative substances! And convenient, of course. If you have the stomach for some terrifying stats about Australia’s plastic use, check here.
There’s a UN conference in Geneva right now to try to hammer out a treaty to limit plastic damage: for more details check here.
And if you want to sign a Greenpeace petition urging Australia to commit to such a treaty, check here.
Split rock Tarrengower-Gen Blades
17th August Mount Tarrengower, Maldon
This is a scenic 5 km walk at Mount Tarrengower with Indigenous sites, local flora and great views of the surrounding countryside. The walk is of moderate difficulty, with some short, steep sections, walking off track on the ascent to the top and returning down the road. Walk leaders are Lisa Hall, Frances Cincotta and Gen Blades. Meet at the Castlemaine Community House at 9.30am or Butts Reserve, Mount Tarrengower Road at 9.50am.
Contact: Gen Blades 0431 371 065
Barkers Creek Landcare and Wildlife Group and Connecting Country are presenting an intriguing event-Taking Root in Barkers Creek – an immersive soundwork/documentary exploring the environmental damage left by the 1850s goldrush – and how to fix it.
This is followed by supper and discussion.
Tickets
White Everlasting Daisy (Chrysocephalum baxteri)
Slime Mould
Dunns Reef
Tall Greenhoods
Gnat Orchid
Blue Caladenia
Downy Grevillea (Grevillea alpina)
Coliban river upstream of the Gibbons bridge
Coliban river upstream of the Gibbons bridge.
Coliban river upstream of the Gibbons bridge.
Sailors Gully ruin
Loddon River near Vaughan
Cortinarius archeri
Mycena subgalericulata
Cortinarius rotundisporus
Cortinarius cystidiocatenatus,
Ramaria sp.
Pink Heath
Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander
Click on image for info/order page
Click on image for info/order page
Click on image for info/order page