Author Archives: fobif

A small group of heroes tackled FOBIF’s May walk yesterday: a zigzag route through the Mount Lofty Natural Features reserve. Bitter weather at 9.30 improved nicely into a mild though brisk autumn day by 10…Well, maybe more brisk than mild, … Continue reading →

FOBIF has been having another look at the heritage question. As we’ve pointed out before, heritage is a funny business. Sometimes it’s unintentionally funny—as when the national heritage listing for the Diggings Park tells us that the miners had ‘a … Continue reading →

The latest issue of Parkwatch magazine contains a pertinent article attacking a few popular myths about fire. Here’s a sample: ‘Our land managers seem to have been subservient to a litany of inherited myths, and display a puzzling lack of … Continue reading →

Did you know that some large dragonflies can reach speeds of 70 kilometres an hour? This intriguing info can be found in the latest issue of Wombat Forestcare magazine. The issue contains an informative article about dragonflies, as well as … Continue reading →

Representatives of local enviro groups convened by Friends of Maldon Railway met on site with fire officers last Monday to discuss the Department’s proposed fuel management exercise south of the railway line. The proposed burn is scheduled for autumn next … Continue reading →

Environmentalists at the Maldon Railway meeting expressed interest in Indigenous approaches to fire in the landscape, and a possible briefing by Indigenous fire officers was canvassed. This is from the Joint Management Plan for Dja Dja Wurrung parks (2018): ‘For … Continue reading →

One peculiarity of the proposed Maldon Historic Reserve fire is that it is partly designed to protect the railway and private property on the north side of the railway line. Yet the briefest look at the map below will show … Continue reading →

‘In 1980, there were an estimated 50,000 feral deer in Australia. By 2002, the estimate had grown to 200,000. In 2022, the population is likely to have reached 1–2 million in Australia.’ That’s from the recently released draft National Feral … Continue reading →