Author Archives: fobif

Which one of the above is the odd one out? Answer: none. The world is a pretty tangled place, and pretty well everything in it is linked. This is the gist of our recommended lockdown reading for the month: On … Continue reading →

Pandemics are global matters, of course, but David-Toews insight that preservation of biodiversity is an important factor in preventing them offers us plenty of ways to be part of that prevention. One such is open to us now: a chance … Continue reading →

You have to admire weeds: their tenacity is an example to us all. Every gardener knows that they don’t give up without a fight, and the struggle against them can seem to be both thankless and futile. Even talking about … Continue reading →

This year has been a good one for mosses. Their bright green colours have been prominent, even dominant in many places. The roadside pictured below is a fair sample: With a bit of luck the season will get even better … Continue reading →

So: what’s that grey discolouration in the water of Forest Creek at the Wheeler Street bridge, after rain last week? Answer: It’s pollution runoff come down the gutter from somewhere in the town. We won’t speculate as to exactly what … Continue reading →

Speaking of tradition: we occasionally hear complaints that conservation reserves ‘lock up’ public land, and deprive people of their traditional rights, including the right to drive anywhere they like. The fact that millions of Australians visit our reserves each year … Continue reading →

Readers of the Castlmaine Mail sports section on June 5 will be aware that there are plans afoot to create a mountain bike network of ‘about 50 kilometres’ in the Walmer State Forest. This forest is already networked by informal … Continue reading →

Anyone tried to look for useful info on the Parks Victoria website? Anyone had a go at finding the Castlemaine Diggings NHP management plan, for example? Forget it. Parks website does carry a number of management plans, but not for … Continue reading →

That persistent gold…is it gorse? Is it oxalis? Is it Cootamundra Wattle? Is it a pain? Yes to all four! Let’s forget about Oxalis and Cootamundra, and focus on gorse  (Ulex europaeus). Introduced to Australia as a hedge plant in … Continue reading →

When we published the photo below five years ago, the only features in this bleak wasteland were a single golden wattle, a pile of rubbish, one patch of Gold Dust Wattle, and two small bushes of Daviesia ulicifolia, Gorse Bitter … Continue reading →