Author Archives: fobif

Peak season

Posted on 18 October, 2021 by fobif

A strong group tackled FOBIF’s October walk around the Fryers Ridge yesterday in fine cool weather. The walk started at the junction of the Fryers Ridge and Fryers-Taradale roads, and wound down some nameless tracks and around to gullies on … Continue reading →

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A fantasy, and a dose of reality

Posted on 18 October, 2021 by fobif

One day we might see a big headline in all the Murdoch media: ‘Biodiversity: worth fighting for!’ Until then, we’ll have to be content with a small item in the mainstream media, and things like the following: ‘Victoria’s biodiversity provides … Continue reading →

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Take a walk!

Posted on 10 October, 2021 by fobif

It’s spring. It’s time to get out and have a look around—if you can. And here’s an extra incentive to go out to explore a bit: FOBIF’s latest publication, Twenty Bushwalks in the Mount Alexander Region, is off the presses. It … Continue reading →

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Parks Victoria: good ideas, bad ideas

Posted on 10 October, 2021 by fobif

Parks Victoria has released a draft Land Management Strategy for consultation. You can find it here, together with info on how to put in a response to the strategy. The consultation is open till November 1. The draft document has … Continue reading →

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Excellent spring reading

Posted on 10 October, 2021 by fobif

In case you’re not already in the loop: the September edition of the Wombat Forestcare newsletter is now online. You can find it here. Among many excellent articles is one by Tanya Loos on echidnas, with much useful info on … Continue reading →

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Looking for some garden info?

Posted on 10 October, 2021 by fobif

FOBIF has sets of Australian Plants magazine, dating from 1969 to 2009, looking for a good home. They’re a fascinating record of enthusiasts’ and experts’ reflections on the place of Australian plants in gardens and the environment. Interested? They’re free … Continue reading →

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Strategic Fuel Breaks 1: settlements

Posted on 4 October, 2021 by fobif

The draft map below shows the strategic fuel breaks proposed for the Castlemaine township area. Final decisions about the breaks are yet to be made, but the works are expected to be completed this financial year. The main fuel breaks … Continue reading →

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Strategic fuel breaks 2: bushlands

Posted on 4 October, 2021 by fobif

The draft map below shows the strategic fuel breaks proposed for the Castlemaine region. The lines are provisional but we are assuming they’ll be close to final. The black lines are the breaks around the Castlemaine-Chewton area, plus the important … Continue reading →

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Strategic fuel breaks: is it necessary to flatten nature to make our forests safe?

Posted on 20 September, 2021 by fobif

As we reported on August 16, DELWP is planning to create fuel breaks in this region, both near settlements and through bushland: ‘Strategic Fuel Breaks are a strip of land where vegetation has been permanently modified to reduce the rate … Continue reading →

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In case you missed it…

Posted on 30 August, 2021 by fobif

ABC Television’s Gardening Australia program ran a segment on our local bushlands on August 20. The program, filmed on the Monk, packed a lot into its 8 minute duration. Local ecologist Cassia Read invited viewers to take a close up … Continue reading →

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