Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

Nankeen Kestrel. Photo Geoff Park

It’s always a special feeling – that tingling mixture of excitement and awe when you catch sight of a bird of prey on the wing. And then the question comes – “what is it?”. If you’ve asked yourself this question, or don’t quite know how to pick a Nankeen Kestrel from a Brown Falcon, or a Little Eagle from a Whistling Kite, or if you would like to know what the differences are between falcons, kites, goswhawks and eagles, our September presentation is for you.

Geoff Park, renowned wildlife blogger of “Natural Newstead” and Eureka prize winner will guide us through the majestic world of the raptors of Newstead. We will learn about their various lifestyles, what they need to thrive and how to tell them apart.

The presentation will be on Thursday Sept 15 at 8 pm at Newstead Community Centre. All are welcome to attend. Gold coin donations would be appreciated.

For further information ring Patrick Kavanagh 0437 663 345 or Frances Cincotta 5476 2691

Whistling Kites of Joyces Creek. Photo Geoff Park

On Saturday 24 September the new Friends of the Box-Ironbark publication, Eucalypts of the Mount Alexander Region, will be launched by Geoff Park, well known local environmentalist and author of the Natural Newstead blog.

This 90 page guide aims to help the beginner train the eye to see the differences between eucalypts – and to appreciate how spectacular they sometimes are. It presents the commonest species of the Mount Alexander Region, generously illustrated, and clearly described in plain language. Though firmly based on one local area (the forests and reserves around the town of Castlemaine), it describes species common to the whole Box-Ironbark region, and would be useful to any enthusiast in that region, from Ararat to Chiltern.

The publication of this book has been made possible by a generous grant from the Worrowing Fund through the Norman Wettenhall Foundation. Other supporters have been the Castlemaine Field Naturalists’ Club and Connecting Country.

The book’s cost is $10 and people buying it at the launch will receive a selection of free tree-related bookmarks and a FOBIF fungi poster. Proceedings will start at 10.30 in the Castlemaine library foyer. Refreshments will be served.

Kid paced walking, and nature based conversation on a FOBIF family walk.

Join us on Sunday 18th September as we take a look at the lesser known but most beautiful bush section of the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens.

WHEN: 10am – 12pm
WHERE:  Tea rooms in the gardens (near the carpark closest to the Lake)
WHAT TO BRING: Thermos of favorite warm drinks, snack, sturdy foot wear your friends and family, big and small.

Head gardener, Gill Miller will give a short history of the park and local nature enthusiast, Naomi Raftery will lead a walk and talk for families around her favorite part of the gardens. There will plenty of opportunity to take a closer look and learn about the special colony of Eltham Copper Butterflies who call this patch home.

Last Friday [September 9], the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council held a briefing session in Chewton on its Historic Places Investigation report.

At the end of the briefing, this question came from an audience member:

‘If the Government accepts and implements every recommendation in your report, what difference will it make to the running of the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park?’

There was a silence, after which the VEAC presenter said: ‘While I think about that, I’ll tell you what difference it would make to the Mildura Hospital.’

This non answer was quite eloquent: it made clear that VEAC had failed to face the challenge of how to deal with heritage landscapes, as opposed to particular buildings, ruins or monuments.

A follow up question,  ‘Has VEAC squibbed the problem of dealing with landscapes, which contain both natural and cultural features?’ was answered as follows: ‘No: the Council has just decided to deal as a priority with the more manageable problems, which are already hard enough.’

The investigation Report, which can be found here, contains many interesting proposals on how to deal with historic places under threat from many sources. It’s a great pity the Report failed to confront the landscape question. Historic landscapes face the same problems as historic buildings: neglect, inappropriate use leading to damage, development threats. In addition, these landscapes have peculiar challenges, in which heritage and natural values can be seen to be in conflict. The problem of horses and cattle in the Alps is one example; and irresponsible prospecting in the Diggings Park is another.

Continue reading →

There are still some places available in the October 2016 Wetland Identification Course run by wetland expert, Damien Cook, and facilitator, Elaine Bayes. You can find out all about it by clicking on the image above.

Damien and Elaine are also leading our next FOBIF walk on September 18. The walk will take in Chewton’s highest mountain, ‘The Monk’, and Doug Ralph’s favourite long term unburnt bush near Eureka Mine.