Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

Walkers along the Moonlight Creek edge of Kalimna Park in the last week have been puzzled by the fact that DELWP seems to have gone to a lot of trouble to protect a mountain of blackberries from its recent management burn. This involved carving a fire break around the area, about 50 metres long, and grooming surrounding areas of vegetation.

The mountain of blackberries is more than it seems, however: it conceals–or mostly conceals–a nineteenth century ruin, with adjacent orchard. Looked at with that in mind, it’s quite an evocative sight.

You could walk past it and see only blackberries, but it’s actually a historic site, probably dating from the 1870s. The wall of the ruin is to the right.

FOBIF had assumed that after the fire exercise had been finished, Parks Victoria would go back and remove the blackberries from the ruin. This is not the case: it’s a depressing fact that the weed is being left there, because it is seen as a deterrent to vandals who might be inclined to come and steal stone from the building.

This isn’t great news, given that there’s a big infestation of blackberry in nearby Moonlight Creek, and this particular weed has expanded its range dramatically since the breaking of the drought. But there’s logic in the managers’ position. Vandalism, in the form of graffiti on historic sites, and removal of relics and building materials, is an international problem. And, believe it or not, weeds have some kind of a record in protecting historic sites: as an example, an Aboriginal stone arrangement in the Western District was protected for many years by an infestation of thistles!

Mount Alexander Shire has released a draft Environment Strategy 2015-2025 for public comment. The draft can be found here

FOBIF will be making a brief submission on the draft, and urges members to do likewise. At first sight, the document looks fatally infected with woolly jargon [‘The overarching challenge is to move from an exploitative relationship with our planet to a symbiotic one, both in spirit and action’] and grandiose aims [‘Environmentalism and sustainability become mainstream’], and weak on specifics—but we’ll be making a perhaps more considered response to the draft by the closing date of May 14.

Stinkwort on the Colles Rd footpath: there are outbreaks on major and minor roads in the region, and they look as if they’ve been spread by machinery.

Here’s an illustration of the way in which nice but vague aims can give the impression you’re doing one thing, when in fact you may be doing the opposite: residents may have noticed outbreaks of the noxious weed Stinkwort on many of our roadsides and tracks: Forest Creek Track in Chewton, Colles road footpath, Midland Highway, Vaughan Springs road, and Joseph Young Drive on Mt Alexander among them. These outbreaks look suspiciously as if they come from road maintenance machinery, and some of them look like Council responsibility. This has happened at least once before, when Council machines spread the weed around newly landscaped areas in the Wesley Hill industrial estate, then had to go back and eradicate it.

A check of the Shire’s Roadside Conservation Management Plan 2012-17 shows the following aims:

• ‘Improve conservation values and connectedness of roadsides to bushlands and adjacent farms.
• ‘Reduce fuel for fire and increase bushfire preparedness consistent with recommendations of Royal Commission into the Black Saturday Fires.
• ‘Reduce feral animals and control the spread of existing weeds and avoid outbreak of new weed species on roadsides.’

These laudable aims are unfortunately not backed by a more modest and practical one: ‘clean Council machinery, so that Council does not inadvertently spread weeds instead of controlling them.’ Simple [though tiresome] procedures have long existed for this, and are urged by Federal authorities as a way of limiting the $4 billion we lose every year through weed infestations.

If enough submissions make the point clearly, the Shire’s Environment Strategy might be made much tighter and more practical. Submissions are easy to make at the Shire’s link above. Have a go!

Walks for young people

FOBIF are running lots of events for kids this year. We have bushwalks for small children with their families, youth walks for people who are secondary school age and a June School Holiday program based in the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens. 

Our flyer gives information about all of these events and contact details. Many of the events are free or free for members, so tell your friends and families so that we can foster a love and protection of our local wild places. Click here to see a report on our first young people’s walk for 2015.

FOBIF April walk

At Dunn’s reef: a convenient guide was available for consultation on mosses brought out by recent light rain.

In spite of the months long dry, resilient moss came back after light rain in Muckleford in Mid April.

A wild and windy Sunday morning did not deter the 25 walkers who checked out the landscape of the Muckleford State Forest on Sunday 19^th April. Capably led by Neville Cooper this 7 km walk starting from the Red, White and Blue Poppet Head Mine went past the proposed site for a Castlemaine Hot Rod Centre (CHRC) where plans for a Dynamic Vehicle Testing Facility, Events and Recreation development are being discussed, and then on to a tour of Dunn’s Reef and a quick lunch break. The understorey through this area is gradually recovering and the bird life was taking advantage of this – an always changing landscape!

Next month’s walk will be in the Nuggety Ranges. Check the program for details.

Eight families from across Castlemaine came together to hear about restoration work and environmental values at the Clinkers Hill Bushland reserve on Sunday the 26th April.

Elvyne explaining how to identify a Stringy Bark.

Elvyne Hogan gave an introduction to the site, outlining work done by the Victoria Gully Group, showing little ones which species of eucalypt that occupied the area lead to funding for a project with Connecting Country through their Yellow Box Woodland program.

Cassia Read then introduced the children and adults to the Cherry Ballart and collected insect galls which shortly afterwards became bush creatures with the addition of feathers, leaves and sticks found on site. After a snack and cuppa the children were encouraged to find some ‘habitat’, a big word when you’re four, for their creatures.

Kids and adults enjoyed the bush and company of other like minded families.

A lichen that Cassia pointed out on the walk back.

On the return walk Cassia contiuned to share her knowlege about the plant and moss species found in the reserve.

Thanks to Elvyne and Cassia for their time in presenting to our small people and their families.

(Click on photos below to enlarge.)

James McArdle has contributed the following item on the new Wikipedia article on Doug.

A large number of Doug Ralph’s friends gathered to remember him on 7 March at the Botanical Gardens, Castlemaine, and their diversity was a remarkable tribute the energy that radiated from this gentle man. 

Many of us felt that some lasting memorial to his passion for the bush, and the way that he inspired it in others, should be constructed. Doug liked to communicate in person, and though he left a little of his intimate knowledge of the Box-Ironbark forests and local history in his own writings, some, especially his emails, may not last. However he generously shared a lifetime of experience and understanding with others, who in turn used his insights in their papers, books, submissions and pamphlets.  

To preserve all of this, there is now an article on Wikipedia devoted to Doug’s legacy at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Ralph

The Wikipedia article is a live document, visible worldwide, and awaits any improvements you may have with extra information on Doug,  and in particular verifiable references to instances where his research contributions have been recorded.

Anyone may easily contribute to Wikipedia articles, even anonymously, without registering; you need only follow the format and conventions of an encyclopaedia. Please help. 

While you are there, you might also look to see if articles on the Box-Ironbark Forest and more particularly the Bendigo Box-Ironbark Region, as well as the many entries on individual species found there, can be helpfully expanded.

Contact details for James are included here for anyone who has information on Doug who would prefer someone else entered it on Wikipedia. James is also interested in suggestions of existing articles on Wikipedia which might appropriately link to Doug’s entry.

James McArdle   jmcardle@netcon.net.au   0459690707

The TCCG ready to set out one of their regular Sunday morning battle with local Wheel Cactus.

The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group  (TCCG) in conjunction with Landcare Victoria and the Northern Catchment CMA is holding a major all-day workshop in Baringhup on 14 May. Lunch is provided and there will be field trips as part of the day. RSVPs are required. Click here to see the flyer.

It has been estimated that 10,000 hectares of land across the Maldon, Baringhup, Nuggetty and Sandy Creek districts, including the Maldon Historic Reserve, is infected with Wheel Cactus Opuntia robusta. The TCCG assisted by Parks Victoria has been engaged in a lengthy and vigorous battle with this Weed of National Significance. Their comprehensive website documents much of this activity as well giving a history of the problem and a rundown on eradication methods.

Spread largely by Australian Ravens, small pockets of wheel cactus can now be seen across other areas in our Region. The Cactus Warriors are active in providing advice and practical assistance to landcare groups and landowners to control its spread. In March for example they held an information session in Gravel Reserve for the Muckleford Catchment Landcare Group.

Wheel Cactus along the Muckleford-Walmer Road